LUXEMBOURG, June 6: European Union justice ministers agreed on Friday to sign a landmark extradition deal with the United States after a year of talks, despite criticism from human rights campaigners and fears over the death penalty.

The deal is part of Europe’s pledge to help the United States fight terrorism after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks and comes at a time when the 15-nation EU and Washington are trying to heal rifts caused by the US-led invasion of Iraq.

The extradition pact goes hand-in-hand with another accord that will allow US and EU police officers to set up joint investigation teams, share evidence and cut red tape in requesting help and information in crime and terrorism cases.

“Europe and the United States now have much closer ties in some significant areas, not least in the face of terrorism and other challenges for which we all want to find solutions,” Danish Justice Minister Lene Espersen told Reuters.

Both agreements will be signed at an EU-US summit in Washington on June 25. The United States, which has bilateral extradition pacts with several EU states, including Britain, Spain and Italy, welcomed the ministers’ agreement.

“We are gratified by the EU’s decision. We believe these instruments contain a value added to our joint fight against terrorism,” a US official told Reuters.

“Both sides are in the process of doing everything necessary to sign these agreements,” he added.

Espersen said the EU decision was one of the first concrete steps towards bridging the divide caused by France, Germany and other member states’ opposition to the US-led war on Iraq.

“All EU states have in this last phase shown a great understanding for the necessity for (current EU president) Greece to get a deal in place,” she said.

France, one of the countries which made demands during the talks on the protection of fundamental rights including the right to a fair trial, said the final result was satisfactory.

“I am very happy with the way (these agreements) were concluded,” said French Justice Minister Dominique Perben.

Diplomats said EU states will retain the right to deny extradition in cases where the death penalty could be applied or enforced. They can also choose to refuse extradition of their own nationals if the United States cannot guarantee defendants a fair trial in a civilian court.

Espersen said Washington had shown flexibility and deserved praise for its willingness to accept European conditions on human rights and civil liberties.

“In this matter, the United States have given us more than what we have given in return,” said Espersen, who chaired the first talks between the EU and US Attorney General John Ashcroft last year.

But some European lawmakers and civil rights groups have said the deal is too vague on the death penalty and guarantees of fair trials were ambiguous. The United States has said it will try foreign terrorism suspects by secret military tribunal.

The European Parliament has voiced concern over “Camp X-Ray” at Guantanamo Bay, where the United States has held some 600 prisoners from 40 nations captured in the Afghan war.

“It is not correct to say that we have sold out on fundamental rights principles...We have defended the European Human Rights Convention and the Americans have accepted this,” said Espersen.

The two deals will augment existing bilateral accords and must be ratified by the 15 EU states and the US Senate.—Reuters