BELGIUM: EXTRADITION AND MLAT RATIFICATION PROCESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001618 SIPDIS STATE PASS EUR/WE, EUR/ERA, AND L/LEI E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2018 TAGS: CJAN EUN KCRM KJUST KTIA PGOV PREL BE SUBJECT: BELGIUM: EXTRADITION AND MLAT RATIFICATION PROCESS ON TRACK REF: STATE 104974 Classified By: Acting Political Economic Counselor Robert Kiene for Rea sons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) PolEconOff spoke with MFA Counselor for Justice and Legal Issues Peter Claes (Directorate General for European Cooperation and Coordination) on September 30, October 9, and October 14 to discuss the status of the Extradition and MLAT ratification process. Claes indicated the European Commission has pressured both FM DeGucht and JustMin Vandeurzen on the need to ratify the treaties as soon as possible. The GOB is aware of the urgency. Claes confirmed the treaty package would go to the Council of Ministers Friday, October 24, and expected its transfer to the Conseil d'Etat for judicial review the following week. The Conseil's review process requires one month. Once the Conseil's review is complete, it will move to Parliament, where the Belgian administration has already begun to prepare Parliamentarians for its arrival and hopefully quick passage. Reftel's December prediction for passage remains accurate. ¶2. (C) Post believes the Belgian system is functioning, as quickly as possible. We are confident the MFA and Justice Ministry will do what is necessary to move the treaty through the Belgian ratification process. We will continue to communicate with our contacts on a regular basis and monitor the treaties' progress. Our contacts warn that undue pressure at high levels may in this case be counter productive. .