Brussels, 20/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting on Tuesday with Commissioner Chris Patten, members of the Parliamentary committee on civil liberties and citizens' rights, justice and home affairs expressed their concern about the threat to civil and public freedom posed by the implementation of United Nations resolutions on the freezing of terrorist organisations' assets. MEPs stressed that any decision that aimed to add organisations or individuals who are reputed to be terrorists to the list of organisations and persons whose assets are to be frozen, ought to be adequately justified and submitted to democratic control and enjoy the power of appeal.
Mr Patten stated that sometimes the war against terrorism required a compromise between civil rights and the rights of the general good. He explained that such measures would be justified and subject to appeal. The European Union was looking for an agreement with the United Nations to improve decision-making procedures (improvement of rights to appeal and obligatory presentation of suitable grounds for such action), Mr Patten added. The Commissioner also outlined that it was currently only the United Nations Security Council that could cancel these kinds of decisions. He warned that any excessive prolongation of decision-making procedures could damage the effectiveness of asset freezing measures.
In reply to detailed questioning by British Liberal MEP, Sarah Ludford, on the reasons why the PKK had been added to the list of terrorist organisations, Mr Patten explained that the decision had been taken by Member States (and their intelligence services) and was not within the remit of the Commission. Some MEPs found this decision hard to understand, given that the PKK (much more threatening in the past) was respecting the cease-fire, whilst organisations like Hezbollah, sponsored by Iran, were not on the list. In response to German MEP, Ilka Schröder's (GUE-NGL) question about the possible contradiction between financing the Palestinian Authority and putting Fatah on the list of terrorist organisations, Mr Patten criticised any attempt at political recuperation and stressed the institutional progress that had been achieved thanks to European subsidies. Dutch Socialist, Joke Swiebel asked whether Mr Patten was able to make demands at the negotiating table or if he felt trapped between the United Nations and Member States.