Category: Intelligence

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Un importante paso contra el crimen organizado Eurojust firma Acuerdos de Trabajo con cinco países latinoamericanos

Source: Eurojust

El 68% de las redes delictivas más peligrosas operan a escala mundial, y el 36% de ellas se dedican al tráfico de drogas, según un informe de Europol. Estas redes blanquean el producto de sus actividades a escala global, y el 32% de ellas lo hace tanto en la Unión Europea -EU- como en el extranjero.

Para desmantelar estas redes es esencial la cooperación internacional. En este sentido, Eurojust apoya a las autoridades nacionales de la UE para que colaboren con terceros países. Los Acuerdos de Trabajo con Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador y Perú, reforzarán la cooperación en la lucha contra la delincuencia organizada y el terrorismo. Un Acuerdo de Trabajo similar fue firmado por Panamá, en enero de 2024, lo que ha contribuido a que las autoridades panameñas incrementaran el uso de las herramientas de cooperación judicial que ofrece Eurojust.

La Estrategia de la UE, para hacer frente a la delincuencia organizada, destaca la importancia de la cooperación más allá de la Unión Europea a través de los mecanismos de Eurojust, con el fin de desarticular las redes delictivas y las rutas de transporte mundiales. En la firma de los acuerdos de trabajo, el Comisario Europeo de Justicia, Didier Reynders, declaró: Hoy abrimos un nuevo capítulo en la cooperación entre la UE y seis socios estratégicos en este ámbito. Partiendo de nuestros valores compartidos y de nuestros intereses estratégicos comunes, podemos dotar a las autoridades judiciales de los instrumentos necesarios para salvaguardar los derechos de nuestros ciudadanos, permitiendo al mismo tiempo una cooperación eficaz “sobre el terreno”. Considero la conclusión de los Acuerdos de Trabajo con Eurojust como un hito en este proceso. Y espero con interés avanzar en nuestra colaboración para construir una respuesta común a la delincuencia organizada.

El presidente de Eurojust, Ladislav Hamran, ha declarado: El tráfico de drogas es la actividad delictiva más lucrativa en la UE, ya que genera un mercado ilícito con unos ingresos anuales de al menos 31.000 millones de euros. Para mitigar y detener el enorme daño a las sociedades y a los individuos tanto en la Unión Europea como en América Latina, nuestra respuesta debe ser eficaz y colaborativa. Es esencial que los fiscales de Europa y América Latina se unan y diseñen estrategias para una cooperación más estrecha, que nos permita no sólo desarticular las redes criminales, sino también exigirles responsabilidades ante los tribunales. Es un honor para mí que Eurojust sirva de plataforma para construir esta arquitectura, y estoy deseando poner en práctica los Acuerdos de Trabajo que Eurojust ha firmado con las autoridades judiciales de Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador y Perú, tras el Acuerdo de Trabajo que firmamos con Panamá en enero de 2024.

Los Acuerdos de Trabajo reforzarán la cooperación en ámbitos delictivos, que afectan tanto a la UE como a los países latinoamericanos, en temas como el tráfico de drogas y armas, el blanqueo de capitales y ciberdelincuencia. Es vital que las autoridades judiciales trabajen juntas para combatir el creciente problema del tráfico de drogas, especialmente mediante el desmantelamiento de las rutas de transporte que mueven grandes cantidades de drogas y que ingresan a la UE a través de los puertos. Con el apoyo de Eurojust, en 2023 se incautaron drogas por valor de 25.600 millones de euros, más del doble que en 2022.

En una declaración conjunta, los fiscales generales de Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panamá y Perú expresaron su preocupación por el impacto de los grupos delictivos organizados en la seguridad, la economía y el bienestar de sus ciudadanos. Para fortalecer la respuesta judicial conjunta a la delincuencia organizada, se han comprometido a aplicar los acuerdos de trabajo con el apoyo crucial de EL PACCTO 2.0, el Programa de Cooperación de la UE destinado a reforzar la asociación UE-ALC en los ámbitos de la justicia y la seguridad, para luchar contra la delincuencia organizada transnacional. Los acuerdos de trabajo reflejan el compromiso de ambas regiones para hacer frente a los retos que plantean las redes delictivas que operan a través de las fronteras. Los fiscales generales también trabajarán en la celebración de acuerdos internacionales con Eurojust, lo que representa el siguiente paso en el proceso de cooperación.

Puede encontrar más información sobre la cooperación internacional de Eurojust en:

Las preguntas frecuentes sobre acuerdos de trabajo.

Los videos disponibles en el canal YouTube de Eurojust, de las declaraciones de los fiscales generales de Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panamá y Perú, junto a las declaraciones del presidente de Eurojust.

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An important step against organised crime: Eurojust signs Working Arrangements with five Latin American countries

Source: Eurojust

68% of the most threatening criminal networks operate globally, with 36% of these networks engaged in drug trafficking, according to a report from Europol. These networks launder the proceeds from their activities on a global scale, with 32% of networks laundering money in both the EU and abroad.

To dismantle these networks, international cooperation is essential. Eurojust supports national authorities in the EU to work together with third countries. The Working Arrangements with Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru will strengthen cooperation in the fight against organised crime and terrorism. A similar Working Arrangement with Panama, signed in January 2024, has already increased the use of Eurojust’s judicial cooperation tools by Panamanian authorities.

The EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime highlights the importance of Eurojust’s cooperation beyond the European Union to disrupt global criminal networks and transport routes. At the signing of the working arrangements, European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, stated: Today, we open a new chapter in the cooperation between the EU and six strategic partners in this field. By building on our shared values and common strategic interests, we can equip judicial authorities with the necessary instruments for safeguarding the rights of our citizens while enabling effective cooperation “on the ground”. I regard the conclusion of Working Arrangements with Eurojust as a milestone in this process. And I look forward to advancing our joint work to build a common response to organised crime.

Eurojust president Ladislav Hamran said: Drug trafficking is the most lucrative criminal activity in the EU, creating illicit market with yearly earnings of at least 31 billion euros. To mitigate and halt the enormous harm to societies and individuals in both the European Union and Latin America, our response needs to be effective and collaborative. It is essential for prosecutors from Europe and Latin America to unite and devise strategies for closer cooperation, enabling us to not only disrupt criminal networks but also hold them accountable in court. I am honoured for Eurojust to serve as a platform to build this architecture, and I look forward to putting in practice the Working Arrangements Eurojust is signing with the prosecution authorities from Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru following the Working Arrangement we signed with Panama in January 2024.

The Working Arrangements will strengthen cooperation in crime areas that affect both the EU and Latin American countries, such as drug and arms trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime. It is vital that judicial authorities work together to combat the growing problem of drug trafficking, especially by dismantling the transport routes that allow large quantities of drugs to enter the EU via its ports. With the support of Eurojust, EUR 25.6 billion worth of drugs were seized in 2023, more than double the amount of 2022.

In a joint declaration, the prosecutors generals from Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru, expressed their concern about the impact of organised criminal groups on the security, economy and well-being of their citizens. To strengthen the joint judicial response to organised crime, they are committed to implementing the working arrangements with the crucial support of the EL PACCTO 2.0, the EU cooperation programme aimed to strengthen the EU-LAC partnership in the fields of justice and security to combat transnational organized crime. The working arrangements reflects the commitment of both regions to address the challenges posed by criminal networks that operate across borders.

The prosecutors generals will also work towards the conclusion of International Agreements with Eurojust, representing the next step in the cooperation process.

More information on Eurojust’s international cooperation can be found in the FAQ on third countries. Video statements by the prosecutors generals of Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru, as well as the Eurojust president, can be found on YouTube.

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Women, Peace, and Security highlighted at the NATO Summit

Source: NATO

On the eve of the NATO Washington Summit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted the NATO Women, Peace and Security Reception at the Department of State on Tuesday (9 July 2024).

Speaking at the event, the Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, Irene Fellin, said that “NATO’s commitment to the Women, Peace, and Security agenda is a distinctive feature of our Alliance. Standing up for and advancing the rights and participation of women in defence and security is at the heart of who we are and what we do”. Ms. Fellin called on participants—including ministers and government officials from NATO Allied and partner countries, as well as civil society representatives–to “continue to champion gender equality in every sphere”.  “The road ahead requires unwavering commitment and collective efforts at all levels”, she concluded. 

The reception gathered government officials, political leaders, academics, and civil society representatives. Foreign and defence ministers from Allied nations attended, as well as foreign ministers from NATO partner countries, namely Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Republic of Korea.  

Prior to the reception, an expert-level Women, Peace and Security (WPS) roundtable at the Loy Henderson Auditorium was held, co-hosted by Irene Fellin and US Ambassador-at-Large for the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues Geeta Rao Gupta.

The events provided an opportunity to further advance the WPS agenda context, and spotlight the new NATO policy on WPS, to be endorsed at the Summit. The new policy represents a significant step towards promoting gender equality in line with NATO values and ensures the meaningful participation of women in peace and security efforts.

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NATO Secretary General arrives at historic Washington Summit

Source: NATO

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined the key issues for the NATO Summit as he arrived at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Wednesday (10 July 2024). Mr Stoltenberg said he expects Allies to take important decisions on further enhancing support to Ukraine, strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence, and deepening partnerships with partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

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NATO releases revised AI strategy

Source: NATO

On Wednesday (10 July 2024), NATO released its revised artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, which aims to accelerate the use of AI technologies within NATO in a safe and responsible way.

It builds on one published in 2021 and takes account of recent advances in AI technologies, such as generative AI, and AI-enabled information tools.

The strategy identifies several priorities, including: advancing the implementation of NATO’s Principles of Responsible Use; increasing interoperability between AI systems throughout the Alliance; the combination of AI with other emerging disruptive technologies; and expanding NATO’s AI ecosystem through closer cooperation with Allied industry and academia, NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator DIANA, the NATO Innovation Fund and like-minded partners.

For the first time, the strategy also identifies AI-enabled disinformation, information operations and gender-based violence as issues of concern for the Alliance, our societies and democracies.

Under the new AI strategy, NATO will work to protect against the adversarial use of AI, including through increased strategic foresight and analysis.

The summary of NATO’s Revised AI Strategy as available here.

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Secretary General celebrates NATO’s 75th anniversary with Allied leaders on the eve of the Washington Summit

Source: NATO

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg celebrated NATO’s 75th anniversary with US President Joe Biden and all other Allied Heads of State and Government in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday (9 July 2024).

In a speech at the Mellon Auditorium, where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949, the Secretary General underlined that NATO is “not only the most successful and strongest, but also the longest-lasting Alliance in history”. He acknowledged that NATO’s enduring success has never been a given, but is rather “the result of deliberate choices and difficult decisions” – from NATO’s creation to arms control negotiations, and from NATO’s enlargement at the end of the Cold War to NATO’s support to Ukraine today. 

Warning that “there are no cost-free options with an aggressive Russia as a neighbour; there are no risk-free options in a war,” the Secretary General said that the biggest cost and greatest risk will be if Russia wins in Ukraine, as this would embolden President Putin but also other authoritarian leaders in Iran, North Korea, and China. “The time to stand for freedom and democracy is now; the place is Ukraine,” he said. Mr Stoltenberg concluded by saying that the Alliance will continue to face difficult questions in the future, but that “we are stronger and safer together, in NATO.” 

Earlier in the day, the Secretary General met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They discussed the decisions to be taken at the Summit to “strengthen our Alliance for the future”, including on deterrence and defence, support for Ukraine and strengthening NATO’s partnership in the Indo-Pacific. The Secretary General also participated in the first-ever NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum, hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce. He spoke to industry representatives, Allied defence ministers and others about NATO’s new defence industry pledge aimed at building greater transatlantic defence industrial cooperation, and welcomed that “just today, the (NATO procurement agency) NSPA signed a new multinational contract for Stinger missiles worth almost 700 million dollars.”

At the end of the event, President Biden presented Mr Stoltenberg with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honour, in recognition of his decade of service at the helm of the Alliance.

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Allies launch strategic initiatives to enhance capabilities

Source: NATO

In a significant step towards enhancing Allied defence and technological integration across the air, space and cyber domains, Defence Ministers from 24 NATO Allies* signed a series of ground-breaking multinational initiatives at the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum.

The Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS) programme marks the largest multinational investment in space-based capabilities in NATO’s history. APSS is set to boost the Alliance’s ability to monitor activities on the ground and at sea with unprecedented accuracy and timeliness. With the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, APSS has now transitioned into the implementation phase in which over the next five years, 17 Allies are contributing the equivalent of more than 1 billion USD to leverage commercial and national space assets, and to expand advanced exploitation capacities. 

With the signing of the Letter of Intent for the Allied software for Cloud and Edge (ACE) services by 22 Allies, a new multinational acquisition activity will revolutionize Allied operations by providing key building blocks of the Alliance-wide Digital Backbone. By integrating allied software solutions with cutting-edge cloud and edge computing technologies, ACE will improve operational efficiency by ensuring unified communications and enabling seamless sharing of data across land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains of operation.

Meanwhile, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden signed a Declaration of Cooperation on Cross-Border Airspace. This Declaration will ensure that Allied civil and military authorities are able to establish and use more airspace from the five participating countries for NATO training and exercises, and other air activities within the Nordic region.  NATO’s ability to train at scale in the air domain represents a critical element of the Alliance collective deterrence and defence posture.  The use of larger volumes of national airspace by NATO requires close coordination and cooperation between civil and military authorities to deliver airspace solutions in a safe and flexible manner.

* Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States

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NATO Releases 2024 Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment Report

Source: NATO

NATO released the Secretary General’s annual Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment on Tuesday (9 July 2024). It notes that accelerating climate change has “a profound impact on Allied security,” and stresses the need for NATO to remain fit for purpose in a rapidly changing environment.

This assessment is part of an ambitious Action Plan on Climate Change and Security that NATO Leaders adopted at the Brussels Summit in 2021.

Building on previous editions, it examines the impact of climate change on each of NATO’s operating domains – sea, land, air, space and cyber – as well as on NATO’s missions and operations, and resilience and civil preparedness.

The Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment presents case studies in three geographical areas: NATO’s presence in Kosovo; the Rovajärvi shooting and training area in Finland; and the joint Canadian and US early-warning radar system for North American ​air defence (NORAD). It also evaluates the performance of submarines, naval helicopters, and military transport planes in a changing climate.

For the first time, the assessment includes an analysis of climate change impacts on NATO’s potential adversaries and strategic competitors, and addresses the climate impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The report responds to NATO’s commitment to raise Allied awareness and understanding of the impact of climate change on our security. It will help inform NATO adaptation to this altered strategic and operational environment.

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Eurojust supports searches into bribery and money laundering

Source: Eurojust

Investigations into corruption, trading and the influencing and bribery of foreign public officials have led to 13 searches across France, Spain and the Netherlands. A multinational company is being investigated for possible corruption and money laundering involving civilian and military equipment.

French authorities have started multiple investigations into the company. The first investigation, opened at the end of 2016, concerns the sale of defence material and the construction of a naval base, around which there are suspicions of corruption.

A second investigation, opened in June 2023, concerns the suspected corruption and influencing of foreign public officials linked to the sale of civilian and military equipment abroad.

As the company has subsidiaries in Spain and the Netherlands that needed to be searched, Eurojust helped connect the French authorities with the Spanish and Dutch authorities. Eurojust ensured swift cooperation between the authorities by organising a coordination centre. The coordination centre was set up for the execution of mutual legal assistance requests sent by France as well as to relay and solve any urgent issues arising amongst the three countries during an action day held on 26 June. The action day led to 15 searches at several of the subsidiaries in France, Spain and the Netherlands. The searches were undertaken by over 80 officers, including 65 in France, 8 in Spain and 12 in the Netherlands.

The authorities involved in the actions were as follows:

  • France: National Financial Public Prosecution Office (PPO); Central Office against corruption and tax fraud.
  • Netherlands: National Office for Serious Fraud, Environmental Crime and Asset Confiscation; Fiscal Information and Investigation Service
  • Spain: Anticorruption Public Prosecution Office (PPO); Central Court number 3 at the Audiencia Nacional; Judicial National Police Unit attached to the Anticorruption PPO
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Secretary General arrives in Washington ahead of NATO Summit, meets with US Secretary of Defense

Source: NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III in Washington D.C. on Monday (08 July 2024) on the eve of the NATO 75th anniversary Summit.

Mr. Stoltenberg thanked Secretary Austin for his commitment to NATO and his strong personal leadership on Ukraine, stating that “it really made a difference and enabled us all to provide unprecedented support to Ukraine”. On Ukraine, he condemned today’s “horrendous missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, killing innocent civilians including children”. The Secretary General indicated that, at the Summit, Allies will make decisions to further strengthen NATO’s support to Ukraine.

They will also address deterrence and defence, and show that NATO has “the forces, the readiness and the capabilities we need to continue to deter any aggressor.” “Allies continue to carry their fair share of the burden,” he added.

Secretary Austin presented Mr Stoltenberg with the US Department of Defense’s Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest award that the department can give to a foreign national.

Prior to his meeting with Secretary Austin, Mr Stoltenberg participated in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. “Thousands of American soldiers who lost their lives on European soil in two world wars rest here,” said the Secretary General. “Tens of thousands more rest in cemeteries on the other side of the Atlantic. We honour their service and sacrifice.”

On Monday afternoon, Mr. Stoltenberg attended NATO Day at Washington Nationals Stadium, Nationals Park, where he threw the first pitch at a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Saint Louis Cardinals. Later on Monday, he will take part in a NATO Parliamentary Assembly reception, hosted by Mike Johnson, Speaker of the US House of Representatives.