On Wednesday 16 November, the European Commission published a new monthly report on the progress of files aiming to strengthen security in the EU. The first of these reports was presented by Security Union Commissioner Sir Julian King, on 12 October.
In the second and most recent report, the Commission mentions progress on the counter-terrorism directive, which is expected to be the subject of a trialogue agreement by the end of November. “The co-legislators should also by the end of 2016 agree on the revised Firearms Directive”, a Commission press release states. On 8 November, King told the European Parliament's civil liberties committee that the Commission would present the final package of proposals in December under the action plan to strengthen the fight against the financing of terrorism, which involves proposals on making money-laundering a criminal offence.
The report also focuses on gaps in information and strengthening information systems. The Commission says that on 16 November it proposed a new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) in order to strengthen security checks on visa-free travellers.
In addition, the Commission is driving the implementation of the EU directive on passenger name records (PNR Directive) in order to ensure that the deadline of May 2018 is respected for its full implementation by EU member states.
Also in December, the Commission will present an initial series of proposals to improve how the Schengen Information System (SIS) works. It will also bring forward an action plan, before the end of the year, aimed at improving security features on travel documents. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)