EU tekent akkoord met Internationaal Strafhof inzake cooperatie en samenwerking (en) - Main contents

(GENERAL AFFAIRS and EXTERNAL RELATIONS Council meeting - Luxembourg, 10 April 2006)

The European Union and the International Criminal Court (ICC) will sign today an agreement on cooperation and assistance (7871/06).

This follows adoption by the Council, also today, of a decision approving the agreement.

The agreement is entered into by the EU and the ICC pursuant to the provisions of the EU Treaty and the Rome Statute establishing the ICC. The EU and the ICC will cooperate closely, as appropriate, with each other and consult each other on matters of mutual interest. In order to facilitate this obligation of cooperation and assistance, the parties agree on the establishing of appropriate regular contacts between the ICC and the EU Focal Point for the ICC.

The agreement covers the terms of cooperation and assistance concerning, among other things, the following areas: attendance at meetings, exchange of information, testimony of staff of the EU and cooperation between the EU and the prosecutor.

Support for the ICC is a priority for the EU, which is committed to supporting the effective functioning of the Court and to advance universal support for it by promoting the widest possible participation in the Rome Statute1

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1 See Common Position 2003/444/CFSP, OJ L 150, 18.6.2003, p. 67.