Fight against transnational crime and terrorism

Fight against transnational crime and terrorism is a key element of the Russia-EU Road Map on the Common Space of Freedom, Security and Justice. At the same time combating terrorism is part of the Common Space of External Security.

The Cooperation Agreement between the Russian Federation and the European Police Office (Europol) signed in Rome on 6 November 2003 provides a legal basis for cooperation in the area of combating organised crime. It covers eight types of offences¹ and involves such forms of cooperation as exchange of strategic and technical information, experience and best practices, legislative acts, manuals, technical literature and other law-enforcement materials relevant to combating organised crime, as well as organising conferences, workshops, consultations and study visits.

In the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Interior, Federal Security Service, Federal Customs Service, Federal Service for Narcotics Traffic Control and Financial Monitoring Committee serve as competent authorities for implementation of the Agreement. The Russian Ministry of Interior is the principal authority responsible for overall cooperation with Europol, while specific tasks of information exchange, coordination of operational activities, organisation of joint conferences, training seminars and meetings are performed by its structural unit - Russian National Contact Point for Europol.

Cooperation in this field has been actively developing in the last years. Russia participates in Europol analytical activities, providing regular information on organised crime and international terrorism, which is used by Europol experts in preparation of annual reports – OCTA (Organised Crime Threat Assessment) and TE-SAT (EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report).

Along with traditional forms of cooperation, new formats have recently come into practice, such as Third Parties National Contact Points Forum and Russia-EU High Level Police Chiefs Meeting. They represent efficient platforms for discussing different aspects of combating transnational crime and the ways for enhancing cooperation in this field.

Cooperation in the areas of witness protection, combating terrorism, organised crime, forgery of money, intellectual property crimes and illegal drugs trafficking, cybercrime is successfully developing. Representatives of Russian law-enforcement agencies participate regularly in meetings of relevant Europol working groups, conferences and workshops. Europol experts are invited to take part in seminars and conferences held in Russia.

However, the experience gained has shown the narrowness of the existing Agreement’s framework and put the need on the agenda to set up cooperation at an operational level. To this end, negotiations on a new Russia-Europol agreement were launched in October 2010, which will in particular enable exchange of operative and personal data. This will allow to preserve the existing dynamism and give a new quality to law-enforcement cooperation.

¹ Against life and health of persons; terrorism and its financing; illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs; illicit trafficking in works of art; illicit trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives and poisonous substances, nuclear and radioactive materials; property crimes, including fraud and the theft of and illegal trafficking in motor vehicles; money laundering; illegal migration, trafficking in human beings and exploitation of prostitution by third persons.