    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [January 22, 2008]
    [Pages 104-105]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Senate Transmitting the Romania-United States Extradition
    Treaty and Protocols on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters
    January 22, 2008

    To the Senate of the United States:
        With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to
    ratification, I transmit herewith the Extradition Treaty between the
    United States of America and Romania (the ``Extradition Treaty'' or the
    ``Treaty'') and the Protocol to the Treaty between the United States of
    America and Romania on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (the
    ``Protocol''), both signed at Bucharest on September 10, 2007. I also
    transmit, for the information of the Senate, the reports of the
    Department of State with respect to the Extradition Treaty and Protocol.
        The Extradition Treaty would replace the outdated Extradition Treaty
    between the United States and Romania, signed in Bucharest on July 23,
    1924, and the Supplementary Extradition Treaty, signed in Bucharest on
    November 10, 1936. The Protocol amends the Treaty Between the United
    States of America and Romania on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal
    Matters, signed in Washington on May 26, 1999 (the ``1999 Mutual Legal
    Assistance Treaty''). Both the Extradition Treaty and the

    [[Page 105]]

    Protocol also fulfill the requirements for bilateral instruments
    (between the United States and each European Union (EU) Member State)
    that are contained in the Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance
    Agreements between the United States and the EU currently before the
    Senate.
        The Extradition Treaty follows generally the form and content of
    other extradition treaties recently concluded by the United States. It
    would replace an outmoded list of extraditable offenses with a modern
    ``dual criminality'' approach, which would enable extradition for such
    offenses as money laundering and other newer offenses not appearing on
    the list. The Treaty also contains a modernized ``political offense''
    clause, and it provides that neither Party shall refuse extradition
    based on the citizenship of the person sought. Finally, the new Treaty
    incorporates a series of procedural improvements to streamline and speed
    the extradition process. The Protocol primarily serves to amend the 1999
    Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in areas required pursuant to the U.S.-EU
    Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, specifically: mutual legal assistance
    to administrative authorities; expedited transmission of requests; use
    limitations; identification of bank information; joint investigative
    teams; and video conferencing.
        I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration
    to the Extradition Treaty and the Protocol, along with the U.S.-EU
    Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements and the other related
    bilateral instruments between the United States and European Union
    Member States.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     January 22, 2008.

    Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    January 23.