Brussels, 27/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - Three weeks after the terrorist attacks that cost the lives of 17 people in France, EU home affairs ministers will gather in Riga, Latvia, on Thursday 29 January to discuss how the EU should respond to terrorism and how best to prevent radicalisation and threats of terrorism.
On Friday 30 January, EU justice ministers will debate the legal response to such acts of terrorism and to the issue of foreign fighters. Other important items for this informal meeting are the reform of EU personal data protection rules (debate on Friday) and management of migratory flows, which will be discussed by home affairs ministers over lunch on Thursday.
With regard to the response to acts of terrorism, ministers will, inter alia, discuss the proposals made by the EU anti-terrorism coordinator, summarised in a note, drawing heavily on suggestions advanced by France, that has already been discussed - on 20 January - by the Standing Committee on Internal Security (COSI). The general idea is to uncover weaknesses in the instruments currently at the EU's disposal and to see if further instruments are necessary. Ministers are expected to consider improving information-sharing with Europol; very few countries currently sharing their data with the European police cooperation agency, and how better to monitor websites. France would like a directive on “delisting” internet sites with radical content. Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove is also calling on the Commission to explore possible new rules. It is likely, a source said, that “specific requests to the Commission” will come from this discussion. So, the Commission might again be asked to consider amending the Schengen borders code to allow more systematic controls on European nationals returning to the EU. Increasing the use made of the Schengen Information System is an avenue that will be explored. The Commission believes, however, that the member states can make progress in these areas without the need for amendment of the legislation.
Ministers are expected once more to express their desire to see the issue of Passenger Name Records (PNR) settled as quickly as possible. Their room for manoeuvre would seem to be restricted until such time as Parliament adopts its position. A Parliament civil liberties committee hearing on Tuesday 27 January again threw up differences of opinion on this matter. Eva Joly (Greens, France) said that “the Greens are totally opposed” to PNR. She said that a European PNR was just a “headlong rush to conceal a lack of action” on the part of the relevant departments. On Thursday 28 January, ALDE and EPP Groups are expected to reveal their expectations of the European PNR. A plenary session debate on this issue will be held on Thursday. The discussion on personal data protection will probably remain relatively limited. “It will be more about discussing the link between the general regulation and the directive that deals with the legal cooperation chapter.” On Thursday afternoon, a JHA meeting of the Eastern Partnership will also take place. (SP)