Strasbourg, 12/03/04 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament believes it is important to carry out a clear risk analysis to determine the plausibility of biological and chemical terrorist attacks in the European Union, before any budget or legal moves are taken. The report by German Social Democrat Gerhard Schmid approved on Wednesday urges the Council to organise an assessment the framework of national police cooperation at European level, in cooperation with Europol and taking account of the results of anti-terrorist cooperation between surveillance services.
Measures that could have a considerable impact on the EU and Member States' budget include the rapid reaction force in Member States, the transfer of information, the sharing of laboratories, building up stocks of vaccinations and antibiotics. These measures may also require specific legislation to be passed, notes the EP in the report. Parliament is also calling on the Council to provide it with the results of its risk assessment in order that the EP can take it into account in its consideration of budget issues.