The United States and European Union met in Washington D.C. last month to discuss the importance of seeking common solutions to shared challenges and to continue to uphold democracy and respect for the rule of law.
The U.S.-EU Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs was held Dec. 16 in Washington, D.C. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland attended for the United States. The European Union was represented by Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and others, according to a joint U.S.-EU statement on the Homeland Security website.
"Following the commitments to renew the transatlantic partnership made at the U.S.-EU Ministerial in Lisbon in June 2021, the United States and the European Union reiterated the importance of seeking common solutions to shared challenges and continuing to uphold democracy and respect for the rule of law," the participants said in the statement.
Cybercrime including ransomware and child sexual abuse, artificial-intelligence technologies, environmental crime, terrorism and extremism, and transnational crime were among the topics discussed, according to the statement, as well as ways the two entities can work more closely together on identifying, preventing and prosecuting such crimes,
The U.S. and EU delegations agreed to continue to use the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime as the official protocol for international cooperation on cybercrime, according to the statement. The two sides also agreed to work together to assist the United Nations as it develops international legal approaches to combating cybercrime.
The benefits and risks of using artificial intelligence in matters of judicial and state affairs was discussed, with both sides again committing to use the technology "in a responsible and trustworthy manner" that permits prosecution of crimes without compromising individual rights, the statement reports.
The U.S. and EU representatives also agreed to enhance police and judicial cooperation against transnational crime and terrorism and discussed how best to support the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice.
“The United States and the European Union expressed concern with the rise of violent extremism, as well as other crimes motivated by hate, racism, and xenophobia," the representatives wrote in the statement. “They stressed their willingness to work jointly to identify and prevent transnational links between extremist groups.”
A commitment to sharing data gathered by the Passenger Name Record was renewed. "Both sides highlighted the importance of PNR data processing as a key instrument to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute terrorism and combat serious crime, including child exploitation," the statement reports.
Migration and asylum challenges, particularly as in relation to the turmoil in Afghanistan, was discussed at the meeting. Both sides agreed the issue requires an international response that focuses on immediate humanitarian needs and how to prevent future irregular migration, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, according to the statement.
At the conclusion of the ministerial meeting, the United States and the European Union agreed to meet again, in France, in the first half of 2022.
