CLOSER FRENCH-SPANISH POLICE COOPERATION
The Spanish Interior Minister Oreja and his French counterpart, Jean-Louis Debré have signed a bilateral treaty on police cooperation. The treaty provides for the establishment of four joint police stations at the French-Spanish border with the aim of improving the two countries’ action against illegal immigration, drug trafficking and terrorism.
A day before the signing of the treaty on police cooperation, the Spanish Prime Minister Aznar on a visit to Paris expressed satisfaction with what he called "recent French efforts" to intensify the prosecution and facilitate the extradition of ETA terrorists. He also welcomed the imminent signing of the EU Convention on Extradition (see article in this cl), under which, he said, extradition will be possible for mere "affiliation to a terrorist organisation" [i.e. even when the extradited person is not suspected of participation in any particular terrorist crime].
The signing of the treaty follows long-standing Spanish allegations that ETA terrorists are finding sanctuary too easily in France. As late as in May, the Spanish Interior Minister Oreja had complained to his French counterpart that the ETA leadership was still hiding in France.
Source: Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 3.6.96.