GREECE: STATUS OF EXTRADITION AND MLAT AGREEMENT

UNCLAS ATHENS 002351 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KTIA PREL KCRM KJUS EUN GR SUBJECT: GREECE: STATUS OF EXTRADITION AND MLAT AGREEMENT RATIFICATIONS REF: SECSTATE 163864 ¶1. (SBU) Embassy Political section and LEGATT discussed the status of the Greek ratification process of the 2003 U.S.-EU Agreements on Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance with several contacts in the MFA and Ministry of Justice. Greek legal experts were of the opinion that the agreements themselves did not need to be ratified by the Greek Parliament because they were instruments between the U.S. and the European Union and not between the U.S. and individual EU member-states. ¶2. (SBU) Greece did require, however, protocols on implementation of the agreements. Greece signed the protocols in Washington in January 2006, but they had to be ratified by Parliament before taking effect. The protocols were currently with the Parliamentary standing committee on judicial affairs for review. Of particular interest to the committee were provisions of the agreements that might contradict certain eleents of Greek law and/or the Constitution. Te committee was examining ways to resolve thee potential differences. ¶3. (SBU) Once the standing committee finished its work, the protocols would be returned to the Ministry of Justice and ratifying legislation would be prepared. The Ministry would then send this legislation to Parliament for approval. There was no indication when this process might be completed. SPECKHARD