For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 2, 2002

Fact Sheet: Counterterrorism Cooperation

In the six months following September 11, the EU and the United States have worked intensively on joint initiatives designed to counter and defeat international terrorism. These initiatives are in addition to enhanced bilateral counterterrorism cooperation between the United States and EU member states.

To increase the exchange of information that could help prevent future terrorist acts, the United States and the EU have:

• assigned liaison points of contact between United States law enforcement agencies and EUROPOL and EUROJUST;

• entered into agreement on the sharing of terrorism and crime trend data between the United States and EUROPOL; and

• collaborated on terrorism threat assessments.

To cut off the funding of terrorist organizations, the United States and the EU have cooperated closely to freeze the assets of suspected terrorists and financiers.

• In December 2001, the United States joined the European Union in designating several European-based terrorists and organizations.

• This week, we announced a coordinated designation that targeted an expanded list of terrorists and terrorist entities.

To enhance our joint ability to bring suspected terrorists and other criminals to justice, the EU and the United States have agreed to pursue negotiations in the hope of concluding treaties concerning extradition and mutual legal assistance.

To work together to deter the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the United States and the EU have undertaken to launch, in June, new consultations on nonproliferation export control assistance to third countries.

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