EU to sign extradition deal with US

EUROPEAN Union justice ministers yesterday agreed to sign a landmark extradition deal with the United States after a year of talks, despite criticism from human rights campaigners and fears over the death penalty.

The deal is part of Europe’s pledge to help the US fight terrorism after the September 11, 2001, attacks and comes at a time when the 15-nation EU and Washington are trying to heal rifts caused by the US-led Iraq war.

The extradition pact goes hand in hand with another accord that will allow US and EU police officers to set up joint investigation teams, share evidence and cut red tape in requesting help and information in crime and terrorism cases.

“Europe and the United States now have much closer ties in some significant areas, not least in the face of terrorism and other challenges for which we all want to find solutions,” Danish Justice Minister Lene Espersen said.

Both agreements will be signed at an EU-US summit in Washington on June 25. The US, which has bilateral extradition pacts with several EU states, including Britain, Spain and Italy, welcomed the ministers’ agreement.

“We are gratified by the EU’s decision. We believe these instruments contain a value added to our joint fight against terrorism,” a US official said. “Both sides are in the process of doing everything necessary to sign these agreements.”

Ms Espersen said the EU decision was one of the first concrete steps toward bridging the divide caused by the opposition of France, Germany and other member states to the US-led war on Iraq.

France, one of the countries that made demands during the talks on the protection of fundamental rights, including the right to a fair trial, said the final result was satisfactory.

“I am very happy with the way (these agreements) were concluded,” said French Justice Minister Dominique Perben.

Diplomats said EU states would retain the right to deny extradition in cases where the death penalty could be applied or enforced. They can also choose to refuse extradition of their own nationals if the US cannot guarantee defendants a fair trial in a civilian court.

Ms Espersen said Washington had shown flexibility and deserved praise for its willingness to accept European conditions on human rights and civil liberties.

“In this matter, the US have given us more than what we have given in return,” said Ms Espersen, who chaired the first talks between the EU and Attorney General John Ashcroft last year.

However, some European lawmakers and civil rights groups have said the deal is too vague on the death penalty and that guarantees of fair trials were ambiguous.

The US has said it will try foreign terrorism suspects by secret military tribunals.

The two deals will augment existing bilateral accords and must be ratified by the 15 EU states and the US Senate.