Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07HELSINKI885
2007-12-14 13:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Helsinki
Cable title:
FINLAND: STATUS OF EXTRADITION AND MLAT AGREEMENTS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0008 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHHE #0885 3481333 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 141333Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3962 INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0043 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5521 RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN 0072 RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG 0415 RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 0263 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0196 RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 1404 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS HELSINKI 000885
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KJUS CJAN KTIA EUN FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: STATUS OF EXTRADITION AND MLAT AGREEMENTS
REF: A. THOME-PROPP E-MAILS JUNE 2007
B. SCHLAEFER-PROPP-NARDI E-MAILS FEBRUARY 2007
C. STATE 163864
UNCLAS HELSINKI 000885
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KJUS CJAN KTIA EUN FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: STATUS OF EXTRADITION AND MLAT AGREEMENTS
REF: A. THOME-PROPP E-MAILS JUNE 2007
B. SCHLAEFER-PROPP-NARDI E-MAILS FEBRUARY 2007
C. STATE 163864
1. (U) On Dec. 11, the Finnish Parliament ratified the US-EU
Agreements on Extradition and Mutual legal Assistance between
the United States and the European Union, which had been
signed in Washington on June 25, 2003. Parliament also
approved the implementing bilateral instruments. Tuomo
Antila, senior counsel to the Parliament's Legal Affairs (LA)
committee, told PolChief that, technically, "Parliament has
given its consent to ratification," and that the next steps
now occur in Brussels. However, he confirmed that the
"Finnish portion" of the ratification process for both the
agreements themselves and for the implementing bilateral
instruments is now complete.
2. (SBU) Finnish ratification had been held up since late
2005 largely because of some MPs' concerns over US use of the
death penalty; alleged CIA renditions in Europe; and the
perceived impact these US-EU agreements might have on these
two issues. The Embassy has engaged in nearly a year of
outreach with concerned MPs, including the chairs of the LA
and Constitutional Law committees, in an attempt to allay
their fears (reftels). We are pleased to now be able to
report the results of these positive efforts.
HYATT
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KJUS CJAN KTIA EUN FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: STATUS OF EXTRADITION AND MLAT AGREEMENTS
REF: A. THOME-PROPP E-MAILS JUNE 2007
B. SCHLAEFER-PROPP-NARDI E-MAILS FEBRUARY 2007
C. STATE 163864
1. (U) On Dec. 11, the Finnish Parliament ratified the US-EU
Agreements on Extradition and Mutual legal Assistance between
the United States and the European Union, which had been
signed in Washington on June 25, 2003. Parliament also
approved the implementing bilateral instruments. Tuomo
Antila, senior counsel to the Parliament's Legal Affairs (LA)
committee, told PolChief that, technically, "Parliament has
given its consent to ratification," and that the next steps
now occur in Brussels. However, he confirmed that the
"Finnish portion" of the ratification process for both the
agreements themselves and for the implementing bilateral
instruments is now complete.
2. (SBU) Finnish ratification had been held up since late
2005 largely because of some MPs' concerns over US use of the
death penalty; alleged CIA renditions in Europe; and the
perceived impact these US-EU agreements might have on these
two issues. The Embassy has engaged in nearly a year of
outreach with concerned MPs, including the chairs of the LA
and Constitutional Law committees, in an attempt to allay
their fears (reftels). We are pleased to now be able to
report the results of these positive efforts.
HYATT