Russian Federation
I) Latest developments
II) General context
Cooperation in the field of Justice, Freedom, and Security is an important part of strategic relationship between the EU and the Russian Federation. At the EU-Russia Summit in May 2005 a Road Map for the Common Space of Freedom, Security and Justice was adopted. Current co-operation aims to implement this Road Map.
Both parties have a common interest in enhancing s ecurity and safety which allow legitimate interaction between economies and societies. The EC-Russia visa facilitation and readmission agreements (which entered into force in June 2007) simplified the procedure for issuing visas and at the same time provided for the repatriation of EU and Russian citizens, third-country nationals and stateless people residing illegally either in the EU or the territory of Russia. To enhance border management FRONTEX cooperates with Russia and the EU has financed several projects aimed at addressing illegal migration, human traffickingand asylumissues. In the long term, the EU and Russia hope to establish the necessary conditions (e.g. security of travel documents) for visa free travels.
The fight against organised crimeis one of the EU’s top priorities. Many EU Member States have posted liaison officers in Russia. EUROPOL and Russia cooperate on the basis of a strategic agreement and are working to further strengthen their operational cooperation. Two other promising areas of co-operation are the protection of critical infrastructureand fight against cybercrime.
The EU co-operates with Russia to combat drugs trafficking. The EU efforts to combat drugs originating from Afghanistan consist of programmes to modernise border management and foster a regional drug control strategy in central Asia. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with Russia. The EU and Russia are cooperating to strengthen control of drug precursors.
The EU is also working with Russia to prevent and combat terrorist incidents. The focus is on both to reducing radicalisation and combating terrorist financing by reducing the availability of channels of finance and freezing assets. EU assistance has included support to develop effective legislative and operational measuresagainst money laundering.
The EU and Russia look forward to a closer judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters. Practical solutions are being sought to existing problems in the field of criminal justice cooperation, and EUROJUST and Russia are contemplating the possibility of an agreement to enhance cooperation in criminal cases.