Brussels, 16/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - With EU foreign ministers due to meet on Monday 19 January to discuss ways to tackle terrorism, the EPP Group within the European Parliament has again called for rapid response measures to be put in place. The European PNR is among these.
A number of raids against jihadist groups were carried out in Belgium and Germany on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 January. The raid in Belgium resulted in the deaths of two people suspected of planning terrorist attacks.
Following the anti-terrorist operation in Belgium, the European Commission decided to raise the terror threat level, said Mina Andreeva, one of the Commission spokespersons. Even though “no specific threat” has been identified, it was decided to put in place “additional security measures, for example, on entry checks”, she said.
The meeting of Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security, COSI, which brings together national police experts, initially planned for Friday January will now not take place until Tuesday 20 January. On Friday, a meeting of an anti-terrorism working group was held. A Latvian Presidency working document (a non-paper) picking up on French ideas is being drafted for Tuesday's meeting. This document will identify possible measures, such as the PNR, Europol-Eurojust cooperation and external Schengen controls. Seven measures have been identified.
On Friday, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel wrote to Council President Donald Tusk indicating that he would like the European Council on 12 February to adopt conclusions, a source has revealed. In other words, Belgium would prefer a more formal framework for the European Council debate, one that is likely to result in decisions being taken.
Things are happening at the European Parliament, too. On Friday 16 January, two points seem certain. Timothy Kirkhope, the ECR's British rapporteur on the European PNR directive, will hold a press conference on Tuesday to talk about the way forward as rumours circulate of informal meetings with the Council and the other political groups in Parliament between 3 and 5 February. The Parliament's civil liberties committee will meet on 5 February but, in early Friday afternoon, the European PNR was still not among the items on the agenda. The second certainty is that, at the plenary session in Brussels on Tuesday 28 January, there will be a statement by the Commission on terrorism, followed by a debate.
Thereafter, EU home affairs ministers will gather in Riga for an informal meeting. On Friday 16 January, German Chancellor Angela Merkel put the issue of the directive on the retention of personal data (from telephony) back on the table. The 2006 directive was annulled by the Court of Justice in April. Merkel called for a new text, despite her country's refusal to transpose the 2006 directive. The Commission took note of the call but indicated that there would be no hasty action and that a careful response would have to be given to the Court ruling. The matter will be discussed within the framework of the internal security agenda that the Commission is due to adopt in the first half of this year. (SP)