08/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - New measures for tackling the financing of terrorism being prepared. On Wednesday 9 December, the European Commission will develop new proposals to step up the fight against the financing of terrorism, on the basis of the discussions held at the Ecofin Council on Tuesday 8 December, on the initiative of France (see EUROPE 11447). According to the French Finance Minister, Michel Sapin, the EU 28 have endorsed the French approach advocating the speeding up of the application of the 4th directive on money-laundering, the reinforcement of financial intelligence cells, the extension to other assets (equipment, real estate, public loans), the European mechanism on the freezing of terrorist assets, strengthening controls on an electronic currency, the fight against the illegal trade in cultural goods and increased traceability of financing of terrorism through the use in Europe of the Swift banking data system. (MB)