Sumario: Open letter to European Citizens by Commission Vice President Frattini on 11 March 2006- The Second European Day for the Victims of Terrorism (Brussels: 11 march 2006)
Open letter to European Citizens on 11 March 2006 « The second European Day for the Victims of Terrorism- by Vice President Franco Frattini, Commissioner for Justice, Freedom & Security »
We are today commemorating the victims of terrorism. Two years after the terrorist attacks in the heart of Madrid, this is an occasion to remember all the victims of terrorism in the world for this type of human suffering knows no boundaries. As the immediate casualties of terrorism, the victims are a constant reminder of the threat that terrorism poses to the most fundamental tenets of our democracies, amongst which is the right to life. Today is an important symbolic occasion to pay them
special tribute and to express with them our deepest solidarity. The best way to commemorate the victims is through our devoted work. Their memory inspires us to continue fighting terrorism so that nobody will ever have to go through a similar human tragedy.
Last March we officially remembered the victims of terrorism through the presentation of a Memorial Report dedicated to the victims of terrorism which raised awareness about the nature of the threat we are facing, the EU's added value in fighting terrorism and the new challenges we face in balancing security and freedom in present times. Since then, the European Commission has continued to play its part in delivering the EU Counter-terrorism Strategy.
We have developed policies on enhancing the security of explosives and on addressing the factors contributing to violent radicalisation. We have developed policies that aim at improving the flow of information between Member States' law enforcement authorities and between police and intelligence services. We have consulted Member States in the preparation of a European Programme on the Protection of Critical Infrastructure and we are working to drastically improve our crises management capacity
at European level. This will allow for a true expression of solidarity between Member States in the same manner that the people of Europe express their deep solidarity when one of our Member States becomes a target of terrorism. Europe can make and is making a difference in fighting terrorism in order to increase its internal security and to assist its international partners in the fight on a global scale.
I am pleased to present in more detail the initiatives taken by the Commission since last year's Memorial Report.
Prevention
One of our main objectives is to identify and address the factors which contribute to radicalisation and recruitment to terrorism. The Commission Communication on Terrorist recruitment: addressing the factors contributing to violent radicalisation has been a major contribution to the elaboration of the EU Strategy on Radicalisation and Recruitment. The Commission is now working upon delivering on its commitments.
The Communication primarily focuses on violent radicalisation inspired by abusive interpretations of Islam. It identifies the policies that could be channelled more effectively towards tackling possible factors that contribute to radicalisation like terrorist propaganda in the media, youth vulnerability, and integration failure. Furthermore, in our view, any arguments that attempt to justify certain violent practices as an expression of diversity must be unconditionally rejected. Given the
enormous complexity involved in trying to determine the deeper underlying causes of radicalisation, we are investing money in research into the phenomenon. We are in fact in the final phases of setting up an Expert Group on Violent Radicalisation who will be supporting the Commission's policy-making. Furthermore, a call for tenders for studies in the field is about to be launched that will encourage researchers to adopt multi-disciplinary and comparative approaches for analysing the
phenomenon.
We also attach high importance to disruption of money flows which enable terrorists to travel, hide and purchase or produce the means to cause destruction and carnage. The Commission has proposed measures to tighten controls on money transfers and has taken up the highly sensitive issue of how to prevent the misuse of non-profit organisations by terrorists to finance their activities. The Commission has engaged in detailed consultation with the sector in developing this policy which has
resulted in a Communication setting out a Recommendation to Member States and a Framework for a 'Code of Conduct'. The Communication also sets out examples of good practice in information exchange and coordination structures among national entities engaged in the fight against terrorist financing.
The Madrid and London bombings further confirmed the Commission's desire to address the security of explosives and detonators. In a Communication on measures to ensure greater security in explosives, detonators, bomb-making equipment and firearms the Commission places emphasis on improving security arrangements throughout the whole production and supply chain, particularly during storage and transport. A general theme underlying the Commission's proposals is the strong need to engage
with the private sector in relation to civil explosives and pre-cursors. In conjunction with further investment in research to improve detection and traceability and possible modifications to existing legislation, as for instance that on fertilisers, we aim at achieving the highest security environment possible.
Protection
The Commission is working on enhancing the protection of critical infrastructure by way of a European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection (EPCIP). A consultation process, launched by the EPCIP Green Paper adopted in November 2005, went a long way in clarifying the exact scope and contents of the Programme. It is clear that the programme will address such issues as how to define what is a critical infrastructure, the key principles regarding their protection as well as how
responsibilities are to be divided between the Member States, the EU, the private sector and other stakeholders.
The Union and its citizens have demonstrated their sympathy with the victims of terrorism on a number of occasions. In 2005, € 2m was allocated for projects proposed by organisations who in some way or another help victims of terrorism. Several organisations from across the whole Union benefited from these funds, reflecting the shared solidarity that exists across the EU. The Commission is determined to continue providing adequate support to the victims drawing on the advice of those
concerned, notably the associations of the victims of terrorism.
Work on countering chemical and biological threats has progressed too. The evaluation of chemical, biological and radiological threats, the strengthening of preventive measures as well as the ability to respond to possible attacks will continue to be high on the agenda of the Commission and Union. The Commission has been supporting a number of research projects in this field. We are, also, considering new preventive measures. Furthermore, the possibility of creating mobile laboratories
that may be deployed in times of crisis will also be explored.
The active participation of the private sector is an important, albeit often neglected, component of the fight against terrorism and to this effect the Commission is developing a general policy on a Public-Private Security Dialogue. One key area of action is that of improving our capability to detect threats, The Commission will shortly present a working paper on detection technologies and will be expecting reactions from both the public and private sectors.
In view of the common ground covered by the public-private interaction in the fight against terrorism and the fight against organised crime, the Commission is also preparing a general horizontal EU Action Plan on public-private partnerships. The idea is to gather and exchange information, intelligence and best practices from public-private initiatives in different fields. We also aim to create a framework where high-level and strategic discussions with a holistic approach on this subject can
take place. Such a framework is currently missing and is desirable for a well-structured partnership to take effect.
Prosecution
Since the pursuit and prosecution of terrorists fall within the competence of the Member States' law enforcement and judicial authorities, the Commission's role can only be that of supplying Member States with suitable tools to better identify, pursue and prosecute terrorists. One of the more important achievements in the last months has been a Commission legislative proposal setting out the architecture and legal basis for implementing the "principle of availability". This should be a
vital instrument that would allow law enforcement authorities to obtain relevant information from across the Union with the same ease as within the Member States. Furthermore, the Commission has adopted another proposal that would allow Member State authorities responsible for internal security and Europol to access the Visa Information System.
The need to exchange information between law enforcement agencies has to be balanced with the need to assure appropriate handling of stored and transmitted information. The Commission's proposal on the protection of personal data processed in the framework of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters aims at respecting the fundamental right to data protection without allowing differing levels of data protection to hamper the exchange of relevant information between Member
States.
The Commission has identified a deficiency in information exchanges between intelligence services and Europol. In order to improve this situation, the Commission has submitted a proposal to the Council aimed at establishing a mechanism to strengthen the transmission of information resulting from the activities of national security and intelligence services with respect to terrorist offences to Europol.
The need for a more efficiently organised security environment for European citizens provides the background for the Commission's proposal to improve police co-operation, especially at the internal borders of the European Union. While the proposal seeks to standardise, simplify and accelerate procedures, it also improves the conditions under which important operational tactics like hot pursuit and surveillance may be made and provides the means to enable a more effective and efficient
deployment of human and material resources.
The issue of retention of telecommunications traffic data has created intense political debate. I am happy to be able to report that the Council has adopted a Directive on this issue on 21 February 2006, based on a Commission proposal which was presented last September. Political agreement on the text was reached between the Council and the European Parliament in December of last year. I am convinced that this new instrument will be an important tool for the authorities of the Member
States to combat terrorism and other serious forms of crime in the near future.
The practical application of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) was brought to the fore in the aftermath of the attempted terrorist attacks in London of 21st July when a suspected terrorist was swiftly extradited from Italy to the UK. In order to reinforce the mutual trust that is needed to make instruments such as the EAW work smoothly, the Commission plans a number of actions for the future to ensure that court judgments meet equally high standards in terms of securing personal rights.
We plan, for instance, to address issues such as the presumption of innocence and rules for the gathering of evidence.
Response
Our approach to combating terrorism also includes a strong focus on enhancing preparedness and improving consequence management. When prevention fails and attacks occur, only a well-organised and effective response system can guarantee an expeditious return to normality. A direct response to terrorist attacks is the responsibility of the national authorities of the affected Member State. However, the assets and capabilities required to handle the consequences of terrorist attacks could
exceed the civil protection capabilities of the country affected. This is when the EU can come in. Joint action can ensure a timely and adequate response.
We have succeeded in creating a general link between all specialised Rapid Alert Systems (RAS) that are currently hosted by the Commission by way of a system called ARGUS. This will facilitate coordinated and comprehensive responses by the Commission to emergencies that require action at European level.
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The European Union is committed to providing its citizens with an area of freedom, justice, security and prosperity. Terrorism is a threat to the realisation of this objective. The Commission will continue to work hard to ensure the security of EU citizens and in doing so it will uphold the high standards of human rights protection with which the EU is proudly associated. Fighting terrorism requires strong will and endurance by all of us.
As Vice President of the Commission in charge of Justice, Freedom and Security, I want to assure the citizens of the EU that I am committed to defending all three with the same vigour and determination. When terrorists strike within our societies or elsewhere we all feel victims and we all feel assaulted. However, we will probably hardly ever be able to completely comprehend the pain and suffering of the victims or the loss felt by those whose relatives or loved ones died in the attacks.
Continuing to remember March 11 as the European Day for the Victims of Terrorism is one way for the EU to bring to the fore once every year the memory of the victims which accompanies us constantly in the work we are doing. I take this occasion to once again express my solidarity with the victims on this second European Day.
Vice President of the European Commission,
in charge of Justice, Freedom and Security
Franco Frattini
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