Brussels, 12/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The EU's Foreign Ministers met up for an extraordinary Council in order to jointly respond to what has happened in the United States, "the tragedy without a name that we all witnessed and which we can all be said to be victims of", said the acting President of the Council, Louis Michel, after an emergency meeting in Brussels on Wednesday afternoon, following the wave of terrorist attacks in the United States on Tuesday. The main issues in the EU declaration that was adopted by the Ministers (see full text below) include a strong condemnation of the attacks, a demonstration of solidarity, a day of Community mourning decreed for this Friday (the first such official day of mourning in the EU), and the assurance of full co-operation against terrorists. The conclusions adopted by the Council note that the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 27/28 September, "or if necessary earlier", and the Transport Council on 14/15 September, will be asked to take all the necessary measures. The Presidency, Javier Solana and the European Commission will submit, as soon as possible, a report on "concrete measures that may be recommended to speed up the implementation and the strengthening of the operational instruments of both the Common foreign and Security Policy and Justice and Home Affairs". These measures will be aimed at increasing "the capacity of the European Union to effectively fight, together with the United States, international terrorism". The Council will return to this regularly. After Mr Michel had read these declarations, US Ambassador Richard Morningstar also spoke to the press saying that the United States very much appreciates this demonstration of support and solidarity on the part of the Council, President Prodi and the European Commission. "Very touched" by all the proposals of assistance, the ambassador stressed that the European Union and the United States must work together as closely as is "humanly possible".
When they arrived at the Council, the ministers all had one and the same message to give. They all stressed that this day was a day of great mourning and that the meeting was above all intended to show the EU's solidarity with the United States and their determination to fight against terrorism. Furthermore, Europol convened a meeting of its crisis centre on Tuesday afternoon. Berlin requested on Wednesday that a European Council be summoned. Jack Straw, from Britain, said on arriving in Council that the immediate security consequences should be examined. He wondered whether enough were being done to strengthen security in European airports, transport and public buildings. He asked whether coordination between Member States of the European Union is good.
We give below the full text of the EU declaration: "The Council of the European Union, meeting in special session today, in the presence of the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, expressed its horror at yesterday's terrorist attacks in the United States. The Council stressed its complete solidarity with the government of the United States and the American people at this terrible time and extended its deepest sympathy to all the victims and their families. We ask all Europeans to observe 3 minutes of silence, 14 September at 12.00 hrs., and we also declare 14 September 2001 as day of mourning. These horrendous acts are an attack not only on the United States but against humanity itself and the values and freedoms we all share. The life and work of our open and democratic societies will continue undeterred. The Union utterly condemns the perpetrators and sponsors of these acts of barbarism. The Union and its Member States will spare no efforts to help identify, bring to justice and punish those responsible: there will be no safe haven for terrorists and their sponsors. The Union will work closely with the United States and all partners to combat international terrorism. All international organisations, particularly the United Nations, must be engaged and all relevant international instruments, including on the financing of terrorism, must be fully implemented. The Community and its Member States have offered the United States all possible assistance with search and rescue operations. Discussions are underway to establish what help would be the most useful. Recalling the strong and enduring ties which exist between the European Union and the United States, the Council has asked the Presidency to stay in close contact with the government of the United States in order to convey this message of solidarity".
In addition, at the opening of the debate in the European Parliament, President Nicole Fontaine pleaded in favour of a common policy in the fight against terrorism and hoped for the convening of an extraordinary European Council on the subject.