Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway on the application of certain provisions of the Convention of 29 may 2000 on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Member States of the European Union a

To improve judicial cooperation in criminal matters between the Member States of the European Union and Iceland and Norway by applying certain provisions of the Convention of 29 May 2000 on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between Member States of the European Union and the 2001 Protocol to Iceland and Norway.

The purpose of the Convention of 29 May 2000 on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters is to encourage and modernise cooperation between judicial, police and customs authorities by supplementing the provisions and facilitating the application of the 1959 Council of Europe Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, and its 1978 Protocol, the 1990 Convention applying the Schengen Agreement and the Benelux Treaty of 1962.

Such mutual assistance must respect the basic principles of each Member State and the 1951 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.

The convention is supplemented by a Protocol established by the Council in accordance with Article 34 of the Treaty on European Union [OJ C 326 of 21/11/2001] which provides for supplementary measures such as requests for information on banking transactions in order to combat crime in general and organised crime in particular.

Following the Council Decision of 19 December 2002 authorising the Presidency of the Council to open negotiations with a view to the application of certain provisions in the field of judicial cooperation in criminal matters on the basis of Articles 24 and 38 of the Treaty on European Union, the Presidency, assisted by the Commission, negotiated this agreement with the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway, according to which the content of the other substantive provisions of the EU Mutual Assistance Convention and the EU Mutual Assistance Protocol will also become applicable to the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway in their mutual relations and in their relations with the Member States of the European Union.