Nieuwe antiterrorisme-overeenkomst van de Raad van Europa treedt in werking (en)

Press release - 314(2008)

New Council of Europe anti-terrorist convention enters into force

Strasbourg, 30.04.2008 - "Following the money trail is one of the most important ways of fighting terrorism and organised crime. Quick access to information on assets held by criminal organisations, including terrorist groups, is vital to successful prevention and prosecution of terrorism", said Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

The 2005 Council of Europe Convention on laundering, search, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds from crime and on the financing of terrorism , which enters into force tomorrow 1 May, has been ratified by 6 states and signed by another 23 states. This treaty reinforces the arrangements of the 1990 Council of Europe Convention against money laundering, and it is the first binding international legal instrument dealing with money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The Convention also contains a monitoring mechanism which will ensure that the Convention is properly implemented.

"No one is safe from the terrorist threat, and it is essential to reinforce international co-operation. I welcome the fact that this new Council of Europe Convention entered into force, but I expect many more governments to sign and ratify it in the very near future", concluded Terry Davis.

***

The convention, which was opened to signature at the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe in Warsaw in 2005, has been ratified to date by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malta, Moldova, Poland and Romania, where it will be legally binding tomorrow. Another 23 countries have signed it: Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Turkey and Ukraine.

Council of Europe Press Division

Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60

Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11

pressunit@coe.int

www.coe.int/press