United States

Cooperation on home affairs is an important part of the strategic relationship between the EU and the United States, framed by the New Transatlantic Agenda.

Main areas of cooperation

• Counter-Terrorism and Information Sharing
• Countering Cybercrime
• Combatting Drug Trafficking and Transnational Organised Crime
• Irregular Migration Prevention
• Visa Reciprocity 

International agreements

Agreement between The United States of America and Europol (6 December 2001) 

Supplemental Agreement between Europol and The United States of America on the Exchange of Personal Data and Related Information 

Agreement between the United States of America and the European Union on the use and transfer of passenger name records to the United States Department of Homeland Security (1 July 2012) 

With the aim of preventing, investigating, detecting or prosecuting terrorism or terrorist financing, Agreement between the European Union and the United States of America on the processing and transfer of Financial Messaging Data from the European Union to the United States for the purposes of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program has entered into force on 1 August 2010 for a period of 5 years. After that, it is automatically extended for subsequent periods of one year, unless one of the parties notifies of its intention not to extend it.  

Policy dialogues

The policy dialogues include EU - US Justice and Home Affairs Senior Officials and EU - US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meetings, taking place twice per year respectively, as well as regular EU-US Drugs dialogue. 

Commission organises regular EU - US Tripartite Meetings (the Member States concerned, Commission, US), alternating between Brussels and Washington, D.C. These meetings also serve to review progress on fulfilling the outstanding US Visa Waiver Program requirements: visa refusal rates and the security requirements.