EU to propose new anti-terrorism measures

17/08/2006

The European Commission said Wednesday it would propose the introduction of new anti-terrorism measures, including advanced screening of air travellers, more hand luggage restrictions and the blocking of websites that incite terrorism.

(EUobserver, The New York Times, The Times, The Scotsman - 17/08/06; AP, Reuters, AFP, FT, BBC, CNN, VOA, DPA, AKI, International Herald Tribune - 16/08/06)

(From left) Finland's Interior Minister Kari Rajamaki, Britain's Home Secretary John Reid and EU Commission Vice President Franco Frattini hold a press conference at Britain's Home Office on Wednesday (16 August) in London. [Getty Images]

Less than a week after British authorities said they had foiled a plot to blow up as many as 10 US-bound airplanes, the EU pledged Wednesday (16 August) a range of new measures in the fight against terrorism across the 25-nation bloc.

"We face a persistent and very real threat across Europe," British Home Secretary John Reid said at a news conference after an emergency meeting in London with several other interior ministers and EU officials. "This is an enduring threat and it will require ... an enduring response."

Reid and his counterparts from Finland, Germany, Portugal, France and Slovenia, whose countries will hold the rotating EU presidency over the next 30 months, met in London to map out new anti-terrorism measures.

European Commission (EC) Vice President and EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini, who called for "concerted" efforts in the fight against terrorism last week, and the Union's anti-terror co-ordinator Gijs de Vries also took part in the discussions.

European governments need to co-ordinate their response to ensure "that it is no easier to get through security in Paris or Frankfurt than it is in London," Reid was quoted as saying.

The EU officials agreed that Europe needs to beef up its defences against terrorist attacks, promising to speed up plans for strengthening the co-operation between the bloc's intelligence forces.

"We need to improve the exchange of data of passengers travelling by plane, passenger name records, like the system we use for the United States, Canada and Australia," Frattini said, promising to present a set of concrete measures at an informal meeting of all EU interior ministers in Finland next month.

Besides new hand luggage restrictions and the introduction of fingerprinting or iris-scanning of airline passengers, the justice commissioner is expected to propose also an increased exchange of passenger information.

His proposal would also focus on "the detection of explosives, on the traceability of commercial detonators and particularly on liquid explosives," Frattini said, pledging 350,000 euros to underpin research into liquid explosives.

During their meeting Wednesday, the EU officials agreed that means should be found for blocking Web sites inciting terrorism, or containing bomb-making instructions.

In addition, Frattini is expected to also propose that European governments establish closer co-operation with the Muslim community on the continent, to prevent its radicalisation.

"We do want a European Islam," Frattini said. "That is very important, not only to show to the Muslim communities that we fully respect other religions, other faiths, but we also want them to respect national laws, European laws and fundamental rights, and first of all the right to life."