Brussels, 10/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The United States is on the point of concluding an agreement on police cooperation with Europol, a high-ranking American official pointed out on Monday. The information was confirmed by sources close to Europol, which, however, insists on the need to adopt rules that ensure strict respect of privacy in the context of information exchange of a policing nature.
The American Administration representative passing through Brussels spoke under cover of anonymity saying that an agreement is being finalised between the United Sates and the Union and should be concluded in the next few weeks. He said that US cooperation with Europe on police matters should be speeded up, following the events of 11 September, mainly in order to fight terrorism and money laundering. He added that there cannot be neutrality when it comes to terrorism. He did, however, take refuge behind the deep differences that continue to exist between the American and European judicial traditions in response to a question on possible cooperation with Eurojust, the Community body responsible for coordinating legal inquiries of a crossborder nature.