Provision was made in Article 13 of the Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between member states of the European Union for the establishment of such teams. That convention was signed in May 2000. Following the tragic events of 11 September 2001, the Council of the European Union considered that joint investigation teams should be set up as a matter of priority in order to combat offences committed by terrorists and organised crime generally and that a specific and legally binding instrument providing for such teams should be adopted at the earliest opportunity. Accordingly, the text of Article 13 of the mutual assistance convention, together with Articles 15 and 16 which make provision for criminal and civil liability, were brought forward in the form of a framework decision.