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In their cooperation in justice and home affairs the Parties will attach particular importance to the consolidation of the rule of law and the reinforcement of institutions at all levels in the areas of administration in general, and law enforcement and the machinery of justice in particular. Cooperation in the field of justice will focus in particular on the independence of the judiciary, the improvement of its effectiveness and the training of the legal professions.
Visa, border control, asylum and migration
1. The Parties shall cooperate in the areas of visa, border control, asylum and migration and will set up a framework for cooperation, including at a regional level, in these fields. 2. Cooperation in the matters referred to in paragraph 1 shall be based on mutual consultations and close coordination between the Parties and should include technical and administrative assistance for: — the exchange of information on legislation and practices; — the drafting of legislation; — enhancing the efficiency of the institutions; — the training of staff; — the security of the travel documents and detection of false documents. 3. Cooperation will focus in particular: — in the area of asylum on the development and implementation of national legislation to meet the standards of the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 New York Protocol thereby to ensure that the principle of non-refoulement is respected. — in the field of legal migration, on admission rules and rights and status of the persons admitted. In relation to migration, the Parties agree to the fair treatment of nationals of other countries who reside legally on their territories and to promote an integration policy aiming at granting them rights and obligations comparable to those of their citizens. The Stabilisation and Association Council can recommend additional subjects for cooperation under this Article.
Prevention and control of illegal immigration; readmission
1. The Parties agree to cooperate in order to prevent and control illegal immigration. To this end: — Croatia agrees to readmit any of its nationals illegally present on the territory of a Member State, upon request by the latter and without further formalities; — and each Member State of the European Union agrees to readmit any of its nationals illegally present on the territory of Croatia, upon request by the latter and without further formalities. The Member States of the European Union and Croatia will provide their nationals with appropriate identity documents and will extend to them the administrative facilities necessary for such purposes. 2. The Parties agree to conclude, upon request, an agreement between Croatia and the European Community regulating the specific obligations for Croatia and for the Member States of the European Union for readmission, including an obligation for the readmission of nationals of other countries and stateless persons. 3. Pending the conclusion of the agreement with the Community referred to in paragraph 2, Croatia agrees to conclude, upon request of a Member State, bilateral agreements with individual Member States of the European Union regulating the specific obligations for readmission between Croatia and the Member State concerned, including an obligation for the readmission of nationals of other countries and stateless persons. 4. The Stabilisation and Association Council shall examine what other joint efforts can be made to prevent and control illegal immigration, including the trafficking in human beings.
Money laundering
1. The Parties agree on the necessity of making every effort and cooperating in order to prevent the use of their financial systems for laundering of proceeds from criminal activities in general and drug offences in particular. 2. Cooperation in this area may include administrative and technical assistance with the purpose of developing the implementation of regulations and efficient functioning of the suitable standards and mechanisms to combat money laundering equivalent to those adopted by the Community and international fora in this field.
Cooperation on illicit drugs
1. Within their respective powers and competencies, the Parties shall cooperate to ensure a balanced and integrated approach towards drug control. Drug control policies and actions shall be aimed at reducing the supply of, trafficking in and the demand for illicit drugs as well as at a more effective control of precursors. 2. The Parties shall agree on the necessary methods of cooperation to attain these objectives. Actions shall be based on commonly agreed principles along the lines of the EU Drug Control Strategy. The cooperation between the Parties shall comprise technical and administrative assistance in particular in the following areas: — drafting of national legislation and policies; — establishment of institutions and information centres; — training of personnel; — drug related research; — and the prevention of diversion of precursors used for the illicit manufacture of drugs. The Parties may agree to include other areas.
Preventing and combating crime and other illegal activities
1. The Parties agree to cooperate on fighting and preventing criminal and illegal activities, organised or otherwise, such as: — trafficking in human beings; — illegal economic activities, and in particular corruption, counterfeiting of currencies, illegal transactions on products such as industrial waste, radioactive material and transactions involving illegal or counterfeit products; — illicit trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substances; — smuggling; — illicit arms trafficking; — terrorism. Cooperation in the above matters will be the subject of consultations and close coordination between the Parties. 2. The technical and administrative assistance in this field may include: — the drafting of national legislation in the field of criminal law; — enhancing the efficiency of the institutions charged with fighting and preventing crime; — staff training and the development of investigative facilities; — the formulation of measures to prevent crime.
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