The Council heard an oral report by the Counter-Terrorism\nCoordinator, Mr Gijs DE VRIES, on the process of peer evaluation of\nnational arrangements in the fight against terrorism.
\nThe Commission also presented a package of four Communications\non the fight against terrorism, to enhance prevention, preparedness\nand response to terrorist attacks. The Communications respond to\nrequests made by the European Council in March and June and,\ntogether with reports/input from the High Representative and the\nCouncil, aim to contribute to the preparation of the European\nCouncil meeting of 17 December 2004. Dealing respectively with\nterrorist financing prevention, consequence management and critical\ninfrastructure protection, the documents put forward suggestions on\nhow to enhance European prevention, preparedness and response to\nterrorist attacks.
\nIt should be noted that in the wake of the terrorist outrage\nwhich struck Madrid and the European Union as a whole on 11 March,\nthe European Council agreed a set of strategic objectives which,\nsince then, have directed the Union's fight against terrorism. The\nprevention, preparedness and response to terrorist attacks is at\nthe core of these strategic objectives, which specifically include:\nthe reduction of access by terrorists to financial and other\neconomic resources; maximising the capacity within EU bodies and\nMember States to detect investigate and prosecute terrorists and\nprevent terrorist attacks; and enhancing the capability of Member\nStates to deal with the consequences of a terrorist attack.
\nAt its meeting of 18 June 2004 the European Council endorsed the\nrevised EU Plan of Action on Combating Terrorism. The effective\nprevention, preparedness and response of the Union to terrorist\nattacks are overarching objectives reflected in many of the\nfar-reaching measures and actions identified in the Plan of\nAction.
\nThe first of the four Communications is entitled Prevention,\nPreparedness and Response to terrorist attacks. The other three\nconcern the fight against terrorism financing, preparedness and\nconsequence management in the fight against terrorism and\nprotection of critical infrastructures.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a resolution based on\nthe own-initiative report drafted by Rosa\nDÍEZ GONZÁLEZ (PES, ES), and made several\nrecommendations to the Council on a revised EU Action Plan/Roadmap\nto combat the terrorist threat. (Please see the document of\n24/05/2005.)
\nIt rejected, however, the proposal from the rapporteur\nto create a European forum to give the victims of terrorism a\nvoice. Instead it called for a unit to be set up, operating under\nthe EU Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator, to assist the victims. This\nunit will be a reference point for European policy in this field\nand its purpose will be to take in, listen to, inform and assist\nvictims and to promote implementation of the measures which are\nnecessary if it is to operate successfully.
\nParliament also rejected the rapporteur's suggestion\nthat thought be given to including terrorism within the\nInternational Criminal Court's remit. The resolution states\nnevertheless that these crimes should not be time-barred, thereby\nreflecting the reprobation of the international community, which\nconsiders them to be some of the most serious and inadmissible\ncrimes against humanity.
\nOther recommendations include the\nfollowing:
\n- promote the transformation of Europol into a EU body\nunder the democratic control of the European Parliament and the\nCouncil and under the jurisdiction of the Court of\nJustice;
\n- adopt a decision, proposed by the\nCommission, to provide for the transfer of the European anti-terrorist coordinator to the\nCommission, and also for effective parliamentary control of the\nEuropean coordinator's activities;
\n- request\nthe Commission to identify and study best practice in the Member\nStates and third countries in the area of anti-terrorist policies\nand the prevention of radicalisation, which could form the basis\nfor the Commission's strategy.
\nThe Council heard an oral report by the Counter-Terrorism\nCoordinator, Mr Gijs DE VRIES, on the process of peer evaluation of\nnational arrangements in the fight against terrorism.
\nThe Commission also presented a package of four Communications\non the fight against terrorism, to enhance prevention, preparedness\nand response to terrorist attacks. The Communications respond to\nrequests made by the European Council in March and June and,\ntogether with reports/input from the High Representative and the\nCouncil, aim to contribute to the preparation of the European\nCouncil meeting of 17 December 2004. Dealing respectively with\nterrorist financing prevention, consequence management and critical\ninfrastructure protection, the documents put forward suggestions on\nhow to enhance European prevention, preparedness and response to\nterrorist attacks.
\nIt should be noted that in the wake of the terrorist outrage\nwhich struck Madrid and the European Union as a whole on 11 March,\nthe European Council agreed a set of strategic objectives which,\nsince then, have directed the Union's fight against terrorism. The\nprevention, preparedness and response to terrorist attacks is at\nthe core of these strategic objectives, which specifically include:\nthe reduction of access by terrorists to financial and other\neconomic resources; maximising the capacity within EU bodies and\nMember States to detect investigate and prosecute terrorists and\nprevent terrorist attacks; and enhancing the capability of Member\nStates to deal with the consequences of a terrorist attack.
\nAt its meeting of 18 June 2004 the European Council endorsed the\nrevised EU Plan of Action on Combating Terrorism. The effective\nprevention, preparedness and response of the Union to terrorist\nattacks are overarching objectives reflected in many of the\nfar-reaching measures and actions identified in the Plan of\nAction.
\nThe first of the four Communications is entitled Prevention,\nPreparedness and Response to terrorist attacks. The other three\nconcern the fight against terrorism financing, preparedness and\nconsequence management in the fight against terrorism and\nprotection of critical infrastructures.
\nThe European Parliament adopted a resolution based on\nthe own-initiative report drafted by Rosa\nDÍEZ GONZÁLEZ (PES, ES), and made several\nrecommendations to the Council on a revised EU Action Plan/Roadmap\nto combat the terrorist threat. (Please see the document of\n24/05/2005.)
\nIt rejected, however, the proposal from the rapporteur\nto create a European forum to give the victims of terrorism a\nvoice. Instead it called for a unit to be set up, operating under\nthe EU Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator, to assist the victims. This\nunit will be a reference point for European policy in this field\nand its purpose will be to take in, listen to, inform and assist\nvictims and to promote implementation of the measures which are\nnecessary if it is to operate successfully.
\nParliament also rejected the rapporteur's suggestion\nthat thought be given to including terrorism within the\nInternational Criminal Court's remit. The resolution states\nnevertheless that these crimes should not be time-barred, thereby\nreflecting the reprobation of the international community, which\nconsiders them to be some of the most serious and inadmissible\ncrimes against humanity.
\nOther recommendations include the\nfollowing:
\n- promote the transformation of Europol into a EU body\nunder the democratic control of the European Parliament and the\nCouncil and under the jurisdiction of the Court of\nJustice;
\n- adopt a decision, proposed by the\nCommission, to provide for the transfer of the European anti-terrorist coordinator to the\nCommission, and also for effective parliamentary control of the\nEuropean coordinator's activities;
\n- request\nthe Commission to identify and study best practice in the Member\nStates and third countries in the area of anti-terrorist policies\nand the prevention of radicalisation, which could form the basis\nfor the Commission's strategy.
\n