For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
WASHINGTON – On 17 November 2017, the U.S - EU Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs took place in Washington, D.C. The meeting reaffirmed the importance of the long standing partnership between the United States and the European Union in addressing common threats to security, and of practical outcomes of this cooperation.
The United States, hosting the meeting, was represented by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine C. Duke.
The European Union was represented by the Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, the Union Security Commissioner Julian King, Estonia's Minister of Justice, Mr. Urmas Reinsalu, and the Minister of Interior, Mr. Andres Anvelt on behalf of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The United States and the European Union discussed their shared efforts to combat terrorism. The discussion focused specifically on the importance of operational cooperation and effective information sharing. The two sides noted the importance of collecting, using, and sharing airline passenger information, including Passenger Name Record (PNR) data, to detect and disrupt threats, and discussed the state of play of the implementation of the EU PNR framework, which will be in place by April 28, 2018. Further, the two sides discussed progress in the implementation of joint measures to address threats from terrorism to aviation security and to raise the baseline for global aviation security. The issue of U.S.-EU cooperation in combating terrorism financing and money laundering, including within the Financial Action Task Force, was also emphasized. The EU side gave an update on its rules on beneficial ownership transparency, in line with G20 conclusions.
The two sides exchanged views on action to jointly counter the misuse of the internet for terrorist purposes, in cooperation with multiple stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society. The European Union provided updates regarding increased efforts to counter the use of the internet for terrorist purposes under the umbrella of the EU Internet Forum. The United States and the European Union agreed on the need to jointly address cybersecurity and counter cybercrime and, in this context, took note of the conclusions of the 14 November U.S. - EU Cyber Dialogue.
The two sides discussed the importance of ensuring swift cross-border access by law enforcement authorities to electronic evidence, in line with their respective legal provisions. In that respect, the two sides agreed to continue their regular dialogue, in order to update each other on legislative and judicial developments.
The United States and the European Union reaffirmed the need to counter the production and trafficking of cocaine and illicit opioids, including fentanyl and its analogues. Both sides noted good examples of joint U.S. – EU operations in this area, and welcomed their practical results.
The United States and the European Union noted the progress in cooperative discussions towards reciprocal and secure visa-free travel under their respective legal frameworks.
Underlining the progress made and the continued need to face terrorism and crime together, the United States and the European Union remain committed to continue common work and meet again in the first half of 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
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