Brussels, 12/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - The first EU coordinator of the fight against terrorism, Gijs de Vries of the Netherlands, will give up his post in March after three years in the job, the press service of the Council of the EU confirmed on Monday. “Mr de Vries has decided, for entirely personal reasons, to leave his job in March”, announced a Council press spokesperson. Mr de Vries was appointed to the post in March 2004, a few days after the attacks in Madrid, which left 191 dead. He worked under the High Representative of the EU, Javier Solana, with responsibility for coordinating the national anti-terrorist policies, and allowed the EU to be represented in this field overseas. Mr de Vries has already stated that his intention was to return to the Dutch International Relations Institute of The Hague, better known by the name of “Clingendael”.
The job of anti-terrorist coordinator has proven particularly difficult, as it involves fields directly covered by the sovereignty of the Member States. On many occasions, Mr de Vries drew attention to the problems faced by police and legal cooperation in the European Union, principally that of the slowness of the decision-making process, given the unanimity required at the Council (EUROPE 9311). Nonetheless, since Mr de Vries took up his post, a great deal of progress has been made, with the creation of a strategy and an action plan to fight terrorism, and a strategy to fight radicalisation and recruitment. On behalf of the EU, he also helped to establish close links with many countries (the United States, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Algeria etc) which are in favour of the fight against terrorism. “His departure has nothing to do with the Parliamentary report on the CIA”, said a source close to the Council, stating simply that the Dutchman did not wish to renew his contract. According to a report to be voted on by the European Parliament this Wednesday, Gijs de Vries is believed not to have been able to provide satisfactory responses to accusations on the complicity of certain governments of the EU with regard to certain illegal activities of the CIA in Europe. The report also indicates that the transparency and monitoring of the activities of the anti-terrorist coordinator must be stepped up and his or her competencies reinforced. Mr de Vries, 50, is a former Dutch politician and was Dutch Deputy Interior Minister between 1998 and 2002. He also represented his country in the Convention which was tasked with preparing the draft European Constitution, having played a front-line role in setting up the International Criminal Court (ICC). (bc)