Brussels, 09/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 9 February, the EU foreign affairs ministers confirmed the result of the discussions they had held on 19 January regarding the EU's response to terrorism after the Paris attacks. The ministers adopted conclusions calling for the exchange of information to be strengthened, as well as cooperation with third countries.
In what resembles a catalogue of actions, the ministers state that it is only international cooperation that can help counter the threat of international terrorism, and they call for support for recent UN resolutions to be implemented - including Resolution 2178 on foreign fighters.
The EU efforts on the domestic level, which include an increase in the exchange of information between services, must be complemented by the EU's external action and a commitment to the countries of the Middle East, North Africa, the Gulf and the Sahel.
In their conclusions, the ministers agree on a series of initiatives to be implemented in 2015. Among these they reiterate what they had already announced on 19 January - in other words, strengthening the theme of anti-terrorism in dialogues and projects undertaken with third countries. The 28 EU member states insist on holding targeted dialogues on security and counter-terrorism with Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Turkey (a country with which collaboration must also be strengthened). Dialogue must also be maintained with the Arab League, the African Union and all the other relevant regional organisations, like the G5 Sahel. As announced by High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini on 19 January, security experts should be allocated in key EU delegations - in other words, the most sensitive external delegations - in order to strengthen links with local authorities in the fight against terrorism.
The conclusions again recommend helping countries consolidate their police and intelligence services through projects in the areas of applying the law, criminal justice, reforming the sector of air security, border surveillance and strategic communications. The EU will also study means of strengthening links between European agencies and their counterparts in third countries. In addition, in order to prevent radicalisation and extremist violence, strategic communication with the Arab world will have to be targeted with the development of counter-propaganda. Dialogues between religions will have to be facilitated, the ministers stated.
On 12 February, the EU heads of state and government will take over the work of the foreign affairs ministers, as they will the home affairs and justice ministers, and will in turn list a catalogue of actions for 2015. Among the most concrete, the EU member states are expected to call on the European Parliament to adopt an effective European passenger name record (PNR) with adequate data protection provisions; to set up appropriate measures for eliminating the illegal content of certain sites that host racial messages; and to use Europol expertise for this.
According to provisional draft conclusions, the 28 EU member states will also state again that the legislative amendment of the Schengen borders code, to enable systematic controls on European nationals at the EU's external borders, seems to them to be “a necessary stage”. The European Commission and some member states are fairly supportive of an extensive interpretation of the current rules. (Solenn Paulic)