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THE EUROPEAN UNION |
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JAI 772
ECOFIN 694
TRANS 435
RELEX 998
ECO 127
PESC 1459
COTER 122 ENFOPOL 277 COSDP 1039 PROCIV 167 ENER 363 ATO 131 DATAPROTECT 67 TELECOM 230 |
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NOTE
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EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator (CTC) |
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Council / European Council |
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Subject : |
The European Council requested
regular reporting on the ongoing activities in the field of combating terrorism
in the EU by Member States and supporting EU institutions and the implementation
of the EU Action Plan on combating terrorism adopted in June 2004[1].
As discussed in the relevant working
groups, this latest report on the implementation of the EU Action Plan
(achievements since last reporting in June 2009[2])
is combined with an overall update of the EU Action Plan on combating terrorism.
Part I gives an overview of latest
results of the implementation whereas part II is a list of measures to be taken
and ongoing activities. In order to keep the report concentrated on key issues
regular activities and established procedures are not included.
The threat from terrorism in the European Union
remains high[3]. Therefore all
Member States and European Institutions have continued their joint efforts to further
improve mechanisms, means and coordination to combat terrorism in the European
Union to protect citizens and safeguard our society and values by implementing
the European Union Counter-Terrorism Strategy in its four main pillars: prevention (1.), protect (2.), pursue (3.) and
respond (4.) and they have increased international cooperation on this issue (5.).
The EU Counter-Terrorism
Coordinator (CTC) has contributed separately to the new
multi-annual programme for an area of Freedom, Security and Justice for the
period 2010-2014 (Stockholm Programme)[4]
[5].
The CTC welcomes that the EU has both reaffirmed the priority given to the
development of an area of freedom, security and justice and is addressing the
security challenges in a comprehensive manner. Counter Terrorism continues to be a key
activity for the EU in protecting citizens against serious crime.
Counter terrorism policy is a real
cross-cutting issue. Combating terrorism has an impact on other security
matters. Drug trafficking and human trafficking or the forgery of ID documents sometimes
combine with terrorism. Modern terrorism is also a technological challenge for State
agencies as well as for private sector. Another important issue is to counter the
financing of terrorism. Several priority fields of action on this have been
proposed for the Stockholm Programme including increased transparency and
responsibility of non-profit organisations to address the potential abuse of
such organisations for terrorist financing purposes.
The adoption of the Lisbon Treaty offers new possibilities for the European
Union - the Member States and the European Institutions - to act more
efficiently in most fields that are directly or indirectly linked to combating
terrorism. Especially in the field of external relations the new structure will
ensure better coherence between traditional external policy instruments and
internal instruments. Terrorism is a particular example of where internal and
external instruments and policies have to go hand in hand. The CTC will continue his contribution to the cohesion of
internal and external aspects in counter terrorism policy, taking into account
the upcoming changes.
1. Prevent
The EU Action Plan on preventing
radicalisation and recruitment was complemented by an implementation Plan
elaborated during the Czech Presidency and approved by Council in June 2009[6].
It shows a mixed picture as to how
much has been achieved. Important work has been set in motion, not least by the
lead Member States and the Commission. But much more remains to be done.
Work streams
The UK initiated work stream on media and
strategic communication has identified seven action points, which UK and other
Member States are now focusing on. Also at the EU-level there are important
challenges to be dealt with, notably in terms of our pro-active communication
with people in third states having Muslim majorities as well as with Muslim
communities within the EU.
The Spanish-led work on imam-training has completed the
stage of mapping out imam-training activities within EU Member States. Informal
consultations are underway with the 14 Member States concerned with a view to
establishing a tentative assessment of needs. Events are planned for the first semester
of 2010, where further consultations would be made and examples of possible
good practices discussed.
Having taken over the responsibility
from Sweden on community policing, Belgium now has the lead in this work stream.
Activities are planned for the following year involving a number of Member
States as partners. Focus will be on creating practical tools and operational
work methods of relevance to police officers on the ground. The Swedish
Presidency organised a mini-seminar in September on this issue.
The Netherlands have taken forward the work on
local authorities. In late October 2009 they organised a cities conference with
the aim of bringing together local professionals and local and national policy
makers from a number of Member States to discuss the role of local
professionals with regard to countering polarisation and radicalisation leading
to violence. It examined ways in which both local and national governments can
strengthen and support the work of these local practitioners (welfare workers,
teachers, community liaison officers, youth workers, police officers, prison
staff, rehabilitation staff, district managers, residential counsellors and
minority organisations).
Denmark is in the lead on disengagement and
de-radicalisation, particularly among young people. In addition to being a lead
country, Denmark is currently implementing an EU-financed project on targeted
intervention in relation to de-radicalisation, which is headed by the Danish Ministry
of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs and also involves the Danish
Security and Intelligence Service and selected municipalities. Both projects are
based on the Danish national action plan to prevent extremist views and
radicalisation among young people, which aims at strengthening democratic
cohesion.
As follow-up to the
trilateral (AT, DE, FR) project on radicalisation in prisons, the Swedish presidency organised a
seminar in July 2009 on related issues.
Check the Web
Check the Web (CTW), another work stream
project, is completing the second step of Phase II, which will conclude in
December with technological enhancements. CTW will also enhance its interaction
with third countries.
In September the partners of the sub-project
"Exploring the Islamist Extremist Web of Europe - Analysis and Preventive
Approaches" (Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and the United
Kingdom) presented the results of their work. They assessed the threat arising
from open source violent extremist websites and offered a variety of measures
to reduce the dissemination of such content for example by legal and
complementary measures, and cooperation with Internet Service Providers (code
of conduct, model standard business conditions, counter narratives or work with
NGOs). The final report was distributed in October 2009.
The Commission has
co-financed of number of the projects mentioned above.
To prevent
radicalisation and recruitment further measures against illegal extremist
literature and other media have to be considered. In this context the role of the internet remains
central. In summer 2009 the Commission has contracted two studies on
non-legislative measures to prevent the distribution of violent radical content
on the Internet and on methodologies or adapted technological tools to
efficiently detect violent radical content on the Internet. On 27 November 2009
the Commission has organised its first conference on "Public Private
Dialogue to fight online illegal activities" which will be the basis for
an ongoing dialogue between the law-enforcement community and the internet
industry.
Alliance of civilisations
Religion can very easily be hijacked
for political or violent purposes. That is why the EU continues to be very engaged
in improving cross-cultural relations through initiatives like the Alliance of
Civilisations in the field of
prevention of extremism and radicalisation leading to violence. We need more genuine
cross-cultural dialogue to break the vicious circle and find ways to understand
the differences. Also from the perspective of counter-extremism dialogue is of
great value as it constitutes a clear rebuttal of the propaganda of extremists.
An informal meeting of European focal points of the Alliance took place during
the Swedish Presidency to assess the work so far and discuss future orientation.
2. Protect
Protection of citizens and infrastructure is
the second objective of the Counter-Terrorism Strategy . We have to reduce our
vulnerability to terrorist attacks using the whole range of possible means
(border control, improved transport security) and have to bring forward research
in this area.
To guarantee free movement of citizens without
internal borders the exchange of information and external border controls are
essential. Therefore the Schengen Information System and the Visa Information
Systems are vital elements to ensure an area of freedom,
security and justice.
Due to technical problems in the implementation
of the second generation of the Schengen Information System (SIS II), the
Commission aims at an entry into operation of the system in the last quarter of
2011.
The legislation related to the Visa Information
System (VIS) involves in particular the introduction of biometrics (digital
facial image and digital fingerprints) in the visa application procedure for persons
12 years of age and older, the introduction of visa files into a common
database and the use of this data for the purpose of border control at the
external borders. Provision has also been made for access to the VIS by
designated authorities of the Member States and by Europol for the purposes of
the prevention, detection and investigation of terrorist offences and of other
serious criminal offences. On 23 October 2009, the Council took note of a
report from the Presidency, based on the activities of the Group of Friends of
the VIS, on the progress made on the deployment of the VIS. The start of operations
of the VIS was scheduled to take place in December 2009 for the first region
(North Africa), but this is no longer possible due to technical problems
regarding on the one hand the development of the Central VIS and on the other
the preparations at national level. The Commission and the Member States are
working on solving the difficulties, but the VIS will not start its operations
before September 2010, and a further delay cannot be excluded.
Since June 2009 the legislation on passports
and travel documents issued by Member States requires that such documents must
be issued as individual documents and must contain a chip with biometric
identifiers in the case of persons 12 years of age and older.
When adopting the European Pact on immigration
and asylum last October, the European Council requested the establishment in
2009 of a 'European asylum support office (EASO) with the task of facilitating
the exchange of information, analysis and experience between Member States and
developing practical cooperation between the administrations in charge of
examining asylum applications'. In May, the European Parliament adopted its
first reading Opinions on the Commission proposal for a Regulation establishing
EASO and the accompanying proposal for a Decision transferring financial
resources from the European Refugee Fund (ERF). Under Czech and Swedish Presidency
informal contacts have been established with representatives of Parliament with
a view to reaching agreement between both co-legislators in 2009 which would
enable formal adoption of the EASO-Regulation and the ERF-Decision early 2010.
Cyber Security
Analysis of
ongoing and past terrorist activities indicates significant adaptive capacity
and emphasis on the use of modern technology. Cyber Security is an area of
particular importance in this context, and requires enhanced cooperation, not
only between the Member States, but with partner countries, in line with the
2008 JHA Council Conclusions on a "Concerted Work Strategy and Practical
Measures Against Cybercrime"[7].
The Council identified a need to establish a European platform aimed at
reporting criminal acts committed on cyberspace. The implementation of this decision
is ongoing. Further action has to be considered. In March 2009 the Commission
adopted a Communication on Critical Information Infrastructure Protection[8],
Further activities to strengthen Network and Information Security in Europe are
currently discussed in the Council.
Transport Security
The terrorist attacks in Madrid and London as
well as a number of disrupted or unsuccessful attack plans, suggest that public
transport remains a focus for terrorist interest and planning. In this context,
maintaining high levels of transport security remains a central issue for the
EU and its Member States activities.
In transport security, the European Commission
works closely with Member State experts, in the context of bi-monthly
regulatory committees; in the preparation and conduct of inspections (primarily
of air and sea ports) and in international organisations. Cooperation also
involves ad-hoc meetings, aimed at defining and disseminating best practices.
In maritime transport security, Regulation (EC)
No 725/2004 brought the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
(ISPS Code) into European law. Directive 2005/65/EC (on enhancing port
security) set out measures to establish a security system for all port areas.
Most recently, Commission Regulation (EC) No
324/2008 of 9 April 2008 laid down revised procedures for conducting Commission
inspections in the field of maritime security, while a Commission Decision of
23 January 2009 amended Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 in relation to the IMO
Unique Company and Registered Owner Identification Number Scheme.
Among the current challenges for maritime
security is the supervision of cargo container traffic, and the need to reconcile
the needs of security with those of international trade.
In aviation security, the main existing legal
instruments are Regulation 2320/2002 and Regulation 300/2008 on common rules in
the field of civil aviation security. Regulation 300/2008 will fully repeal
Regulation 2320/2002 as of 29 April 2010. The body of implementing legislation,
based on 2320/2002, is in the final stages of revision, and will in principle
enter force also on 29 April 2010.
Among current challenges for aviation security are
the threat posed by liquid explosives. Following the discovery of a plot in
August 2006, which involved the intended use of liquid explosives in attacks on
aircraft departing from London Heathrow, legislation was introduced to limit
the carriage by passengers of liquids, aerosols and gels in cabin baggage.
Subject to the development and entry into service of new technologies, it is
intended that these restrictions will be lifted in due course. The target date
for the lifting of restrictions is currently under discussion.
The CTC welcomes efforts to improve detection
technology which would eventually make life for passengers easier. Nevertheless,
the ongoing terrorist threat especially in the field of aviation, means that it
would be highly unwise to compromise on security in this area.
In land transport security, work is ongoing on
best practices in urban transport security.
Urban transport is - like other possible soft
targets - a field where the CTC invites Member States to cooperate more closely,
and is the subject of ongoing research activity.
Security of explosives
Further progress has also been made
in the work on enhancing the security of precursors to explosives. The 2008 Annual
Report of the Standing Committee on Precursors contained a number of
recommendations such as banning the sales of certain substances above a given
concentration limit to the general public, placing professional use of these
precursors under better control (e.g. recording the identity of the buyer), or
establishing a system for recording suspicious transactions. An impact
assessment study is currently underway of the possible implications of the
different strands of action which have been recommended by the Standing Committee.
The final report, which will be discussed at the Standing Committee, is
expected to be ready by January 2010.
Since the adoption of the EU Action Plan on
Enhancing the Security of Explosives[9],
Europol has been working actively to implement the Action Plan. In June
2009 the Commission
presented an interim report[10]
on the implementation of the Action Plan on Enhancing the Security of
Explosives[11]. The creation of the European Explosive Ordnance Disposal Network (EEODN), an EU explosives expert
network, is one of the achievements in implementing the Plan. During 2009, two
experts of the EEODN received training by the US Agency ATF in the USA.
Europol, in partnership with Sweden and Spain, has requested grants under the
ISEC Programme for the implementation of the EEODN activities, including
training for the EEODN experts.
In October the Commission and the
Swedish Presidency organised in Stockholm a conference on "Enhancing the
security of explosives". Three conclusions could be drawn from that
conference; the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Explosives must
continue, it is an important tool and in spite of progress there are still
areas that need further attention.
The Early Warning System (EWS) is currently being developed by Spain in partnership with Europol. Its presentation,
implementation and deployment to Member States is expected to take place in the
first half of 2010. The development of the EWS is led by Spain and carried out
in close cooperation by specialists from Spain, France, Portugal, Germany and
Europol. The project is co-funded by the Commission under the ISEC Programme. A
seminar will be organized in Madrid in February 2010.
The System for traceability and identification
for explosives of civil use (SCEPYLT) is being developed by Spain with funding
support of the Commission under the CIPS programme. A seminar in Madrid will
take place during the forthcoming Spanish presidency in February.
The rollout of the European Bomb Data System
(EBDS) including data on
incidents related to explosives, improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
improvised incendiary devices (IIDs) and CBRN[12] issues is
expected by the first half of 2010. The EBDS, hosted in the Europol Secure Network,
will include an incident database, a library for storing technical reports and
discussion fora. It would improve the exchange of information and intelligence
between experts in the fields of explosives and CBRN. The project is led by
Europol and co-funded by the Commission under the ISEC Programme. The tender
procedure is expected to be closed by November 2009.
Security related research
Preparatory Action Programme for
Security Related Research; 7th Framework Programme
A Preparatory Action Programme (2004-2006) has been
established for security related research. Most of the 39 projects for Security
Research funded under this Programme are now finished.
A full theme of the EC 7th Framework Programme
for Research, Technological development and Demonstration activities is
dedicated to security research. It has a budget of 1.4 billion Euros for the
period 2007-2013. The FP7 Security theme is mission oriented: most of the
funded projects target applicable results for the direct benefit of security
end users e.g. law enforcement agencies, border guards or fire brigades. It is
addressing exclusively civil security. However, recognising that there are
areas of dual use technology relevant to both civilian and military
applications, coordination is taking place with the European Defence Agency.
Following three calls for proposals, more than
80 collaborative research projects are already on going or about to start,
addressing topics such as maritime surveillance systems, (stand off) detection
of CBRNE substances, Open Source Intelligence, Command and Control
capabilities, violent radicalization, ballistic database, Crisis Management
support systems, Critical infrastructure protection or the ethical dimension of
security technologies. These 80 projects involve more than 900 organisations
ranging from University researchers, large industries and SMEs to security end
users for a total budget of more than 460 million Euros.
European Security Research and Innovation Forum (ESRIF)
The executive summary of the ESRIF final report was presented at the
conference "Enhancing
the security of explosives"[13]. The complete final report was discussed on an ESRIFs plenary meeting in
November and will be published in the beginning of December.
3. Pursue
To pursue and investigate terrorists across Europe
and outside is the third pillar of the European strategy combating terrorism.
We have to continue and increase our efforts to uncover terrorist networks, to
impede communication, travel and planning activities of terrorists and their supporters;
to cut off funding and access to attack materials, and to file them on court.
Data sharing/TFTP
The finalised evaluation procedure to authorise
Member States to start DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data exchange
pursuant to Council Decisions 2008/615/JHA and 2008/616/JHA (PrŸm Decisions) is
expected to be applied in the coming months for several Member States.
The Presidency and the Commission finalised the
work related to the outstanding issues from the May 2008 Final report of the
EU-US High Level Contact Group on data protection and data sharing. On the
redress principle, common wording was found which emphasises that, while the
legal traditions and government structures in the EU and the US differ, both
jurisdictions provide multiple mechanisms for administrative and judicial
redress.
In view of the imminent entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the
Presidency decided to halt the ongoing work regarding the proposal for a
Framework Decision on PNR, so as to allow the Commission to come forward with a
new proposal under the ordinary legislative procedure under the Lisbon Treaty.
On 27 July 2009, the Council authorised the Presidency to negotiate an
Agreement between the European Union and the United States of America to make
available to the United States Treasury Department financial messaging data to
prevent and combat terrorism and terrorist financing.
The negotiations for an interim solution to bridge the 'gap' between the
transfer of the 'European data' from the American database of SWIFT to its
European database are still ongoing The objective is to ensure the continuing
operation of the Terrorist Finance tracking Programme (TFTP) by the US Treasury
Department, from which the European Union has benefited significantly in terms
of a law enforcement 'return'.
From the perspective of the CTC an interim
agreement is be highly desirable to allow the TFTP to continue pending
negotiation of a long-term Agreement under the procedures of the Lisbon Treaty.
National Centers for
Counter Terrorism Coordination
Two
meetings have taken place in Spain and France at the level of Directors of the
Centers to explore further ways of closer cooperation. Another meeting will
take place during the Spanish presidency in January 2010
Europol and Eurojust
Europol will be transformed into an EU agency on 1 January 2010[14]
when Europol's new legal Framework will become applicable. Under that new legal
framework Europol will be able to respond more rapidly to trends in serious
crime, also covering terrorism. Counter terrorism action is part of all major
fields of Europol activities - from data exchange and information sharing (on
CBRN, Check the Web and cybercrime), through operational analysis (e.g. Joint
Investigation Teams and OCTA) and strategic analysis to operational support in
case of a terrorist attack[15].
A new Europol Deputy Director was appointed by the Council on 23 October 2009. On
1 October 2009 Europol and Eurojust have signed a revised cooperation
agreement, which the Council requested by the end of 2008.
This revised cooperation agreement will contribute to enhancing the
cooperation between Eurojust and Europol in fighting serious forms of
international crime, in particular via an improved mutual exchange of general
and personal data. The possibility for Eurojust to request Europol to open, in
accordance with Europol's legal framework, an Analytical Work File (AWF) was
enhanced. Also the provision of information regarding AWFs between Europol and
Eurojust was improved.
Criminal law: Approximation of Member States' criminal law and mutual
recognition
In February 2009, the Council
adopted a Framework Decision on the exchange of information extracted from
criminal records between EU Member States[16]. It lays the
ground rules for the transmission of information on convictions to the country
of the person's nationality as well as for the storage of such information by
that country and for the retransmission, upon request, to other Member States.
The Council followed this with the adoption in April 2009 of the Council
Decision on the establishment of the European Criminal Records Information
System (ECRIS) in application of art. 11 of Framework Decision 2009/315/JHA[17]
which establishes a computerised system of interconnection of the national
criminal records databases. Further discussion on the implementation of the
Council Decision will be carried out in Criminal Matters Working Party.
Procedural Rights:
In October 2009 the Council reached agreement
on a package of three documents aimed at strengthening the procedural rights of
suspected or accused persons in criminal proceedings[18].
The texts that were agreed upon are:
á
a roadmap identifying
the main areas in which legislative or other initiatives are desirable,
á
the first
legislative proposal in this area, namely the Framework Decision on the right
to interpretation and to translation, as well as
á
an accompanying
resolution fostering the implementation of the framework decision.
The new texts, in particular the Framework
Decision, should increase mutual confidence among Member States and their
(judicial) authorities, and hence facilitate the application of existing and
future instruments on mutual recognition of judicial decsions in criminal
matters, such as the European Arrest Warrant.
It is intended that the Roadmap will be
formally adopted at the JHA Council on 30 November 2009. The Decision making
process on the Framework Decision and on the accompanying Resolution will have
to be re-done under the Lisbon Treaty.
Conflicts of Jurisdiction:
The Council in April 2009 reached agreement on
a Framework Decision on
prevention and settlement of conflicts of exercise of jurisdiction in criminal
proceedings[19]. The
Framework Decsion aims to prevent situations where the same person is subject
to parallel criminal proceedings in different Member States in respect of the
same facts, which might lead to the final disposal of those proceedings in two
or more Member States. The Framework Decision therefore seeks to prevent an infringement
of the principle of "ne bis in idem".
It is intended that the Framework Decsion will
be formally adopted at the JHA Council on 30 November 2009.
Operational cooperation
The evaluation
of the results of the Joint Customs Operation ATHENA focusing on money laundering
linked to terrorism financing and other illicit activities is ongoing. A
follow-up operation is being considered.
With a view to
improving radio communications between operational units in border areas and fulfilling
the needs of police forces, Council adopted in June 2009 a Recommendation which
includes the development of intersystem interfaces, the allocation of
appropriate frequencies and the development of a European standard regarding
high-speed data communication and roaming functionality which satisfies law
enforcement needs[20].
Terrorist financing
Various pieces of legislation have been adopted to counter the financing
of terrorism. Detailed reference to this legislation is made in the revised
Terrorist Financing Strategy[21].
In addition, several non-legislative initiatives have been pursued, amongst
others to raise awareness on the part of non-profit organisations with regard to their potential abuse by terrorist financiers. The CTC
issued his first report on the implementation of the revised Terrorist
Financing Strategy[22].
Subsequent reporting on this Strategy will be done regularly.
In February, the Council adopted a Decision
authorising the signature, on behalf of the European Community, of the Council
of Europe Convention on laundering, search, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds
from crime and on the financing of terrorism, which was signed under the Czech
Presidency.
4. Response
Of course 100% security cannot be guaranteed.
Therefore we have prepare ourselves to manage and minimize the consequences of
a terrorist attack. Coordinated response, joint action and solidarity between
Member States is of great importance in this respect.
Civil protection / CBRN action plan
Within the field of civil protection, work is
taking place within the framework of the Community Civil Protection Mechanism. In
this respect the Civil Protection Mechanism with its all-hazard approach,
covering prevention, preparedness and response, provides an effective and
visible demonstration of European solidarity.
The Council has encouraged Member States to
enhance their civil protection capabilities through a European mutual
assistance system[23]
aiming at a further development/identification of civil protection modules and
to register them as soon as possible, to improve their interoperability and to
further accelerate the setting up of a core group of assessment and
coordination experts who could be deployed rapidly.
As of October 2009, a total of 85
modules and 8 technical and assistance teams (TAST) have been registered covering
different areas, e.g. water purification, high capacity pumping, urban search
and rescue, aerial forest fire fighting, CBRN detection, search and rescue,
forest fire fighting, and medical assistance
To enhance the preparedness of
civil protection and other emergency relief actors, the Commission is also in
the process of developing Disaster Management Training Arrangements, which
would include a network of EU Disaster Management Training Centers.
In October 2009 the combined internal and
external working groups on CT (COTER & TWG) held a mini-seminar on multiple
attacks. 4 Member States gave an overview of their findings on the Mumbai
attacks and shared lessons learnt with the other partners.
CCA
Exercise 2009
Immediate and appropriate professional
reaction to a major crisis event (like multiple terrorist attacks throughout
the EU or a terrorist attack of great magnitude in one MS) needs regular exercise.
The response to cyber and biological attacks and an international hostage
taking were parts of the 2009 exercise on the Emergency and Crisis Coordination
Arrangements (CCA) successfully carried out in Brussels end of September 2009.
Victims of terrorism
The Response to terrorism has to include
solidarity, assistance and compensation of the victims of terrorism and their
families. This principle has to remain an integral part of EU policy.
The Commission has since 2004 co-financed
projects led by organisations - private or public - and associations representing
victims, which helped victims and their families to recover from the consequences
of their ordeal by means of social or psychological support, trained
practitioners, or contributed to raising awareness of the European public
against the terrorist threat.
Additionally in December 2008, the Commission
set up a European Network of Associations of Victims of Terrorism to stimulate
trans-national co-operation between associations of victims of terrorism and
enhance the representation of victims' interests at EU-level. The latest event
successfully organised by the Network was a seminar in Paris on "society
and victims of terrorism" in September 2009. All of these events were
attended by victims' associations from an important number of Member States and
were well attended by the media.
Furthermore, in the next years the Commission
will intensify its efforts to promote solidarity with the victims of terrorism
through a volunteers' programme as well as the dissemination of testimonies of
victims of terrorism. These actions are intended to sensitise EU citizens and
disseminate a powerful message of democratic values countering violent
narratives and radicalisation.
By November
2009 all the Member States will have been evaluated in the framework of the second
round of peer evaluation of national counter-terrorism arrangements focusing on
preparedness and consequence management. The main authorities participating in this
exercise have been police forces, security and intelligence services, and civil
protection bodies such as fire departments or the civil defense. The evaluation
has demonstrated that National Crisis Centers play a key role not only in
crisis management but also in the development of national emergency plans and
exercise scenarios. In July 2009 an interim report on the peer evaluation including
the state-of-play and the main findings was published[24].
The final report is due in the beginning of 2010.
Chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear threats and risks
In June 2009 the Commission presented a
Communication on Strengthening Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear
(CBRN) Security in the European Union and an EU CBRN Action Plan, aimed at
preventing CBRN incidents and limiting their consequences. The Action Plan,
which was negotiated in its entirety under the Swedish Presidency, focuses on
three main strands:
á
Prevention -
ensuring that unauthorised access to CBRN materials of concern is as difficult
as possible;
á
Detection -
having the capability to detect CBRN materials in order to prevent or respond
to CBRN incidents;
á
Preparedness and
response - being able to efficiently respond to incidents involving CBRN materials
and recover from them as quickly as possible.
Under the overall framework of the EU CBRN
Action Plan, the Commission has put forward a proposal to develop an EU CBRN
Resilience Programme, which aims at improving the CBRN work undertaken within
the framework of the Civil Protection Mechanism. The objective is to have
better linkages between the different civil protection activities in the field
of CBRN and to tackle identified gaps in a streamlined way.
On 30 November 2009 the Council is invited to approve
the CBRN Action Plan and to call on the Commission and the Member States to
rapidly undertake its implementation in order to enhance preventive, detection
and response measures in the field of CBRN threats and risks].
5. International
cooperation
The external priorities of CT
strategy remain:
(a) the Transatlantic
Relationship: the relationship with the US is of vital importance to the EU.
The CTC is aware of no significant CT investigation in Europe in which US
support has not played a crucial role. Reinforcing this relationship is thus a
continuing high priority. The CTC has been keen to maximise the opportunity
presented by the commitment of new US Administration chosen to follow a significantly
different path in its CT strategy, symbolised by the commitment to close the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The mechanism agreed by the JHA Council on 4
June, and EU/US joint declaration of 15 June[25], established a framework in which
those EU Member States who wished to do so could support the US by receiving
ex-detainees, in the expectation that underlying policy issues would be
addressed[26]. Depending on the outcomes of the
US policy review processes we might explore, including in the context of our
regular dialogue among Legal Advisers, the possibility of developing a Set of
Principles that might serve as a common reference point within the context of
our shared efforts to counter terrorism. As agreed by COREPER, the CTC visited
Washington in June to brief the Detention Policy Review Task Force. At the
EU-US Summit in Washington in October 2009 the partners underlined again the
menace of international terrorism. The challenge of terrorist travel was mentioned in particular. From
the perspective of the CTC more has to be done to track, disclose and disrupt
terrorist training and travel activities.
(b) South Asia: the continuing
deterioration of the situation in Pakistan shows that the EU was correct in
identifying Pakistan as a key target for CT assistance. The EU has shown
support at a political level in an ad hoc summit with Pakistan in June, and
conclusions of the GAERC on Afghanistan and Pakistan in October. Following the
CTC's visit to Pakistan in January, and a first scoping mission in March, a
second mission from the Commission visited Pakistan in August, and concrete
projects are now in development under the Instrument for Stability, with GTZ as
the implementing partner. The CTC visited India on 8/10 October.
(c) Sahel: a series of
foreign hostage takings, the execution of the British hostage Edwin Dwyer and
the attack on the French Embassy in Nouakchott in August show the growing
threat from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the urgency of coming up
with a holistic approach to the toxic cocktail of threats facing the region, as
agreed by the PSC in May. The CTC took part in the Sahel Missions to Mali and
Mauritania, and also visited Algeria in June. The Commission has continued to
support the African Union Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism (CAERT)
and is studying further ideas for using resources from the stability instrument.
In addition to the threat from terrorism, other components of cocktail are
being addressed by the work to address the new drugs route from Latin America
through West Africa (the CTC visited Colombia in July) and by work on
addressing people trafficking.
(d) the Horn of Africa: has been
most recently added to the list of geographical priorities for
Counter-Terrorism concern. Both Yemen and Somalia have been the particular
focus of discussion in the PSC. Following the COTER Troika visit to Yemen
together with the CTC in May a Commission scoping mission visited in October to
see how work can be taken forward under the Instrument for Stability. Somalia was
the subject of a Òmini-seminarÓ at the TWP on 6 November, arranged by the
Swedish Presidency.
(e) Joint efforts to combat
terrorism were also subject in the Troika
meetings with India (11 June), Turkey (16 October) and Russia (15 October).
More generally, the CTC has kept in
close touch with the relevant UN work on Counter-Terrorism especially with Mike
Smith, UN CT Executive Director, Jean-Paul Laborde, the newly appointed
Director of the CTITF, and with Cecilia Ruthstršm-Ruin,
head of the Terrorism
Prevention Branch of the UNODC. In October he took advantage of a visit to
Vienna to visit also the headquarters of the UNODC and also the IAEA to discuss
priorities in countering nuclear terrorism.
In addition to the external action
described above, the CTC has been working to ensure coherence in the way the EU
addresses the threat posed by groups which use terrorist tactics outside the EU
but whose activity within the Union consists largely of propaganda, recruitment
and raising money, often by extortion from the communities they claim to
protect. The PKK is a particular example of such a group, and the CTC has made
a series of proposals on how work could be taken forward to counter the threat
it poses.
The UN sanctions regime established pursuant to
resolution 1267 and modified by several subsequent resolutions constitutes an
essential tool in the fight against international terrorism. A number of Member
States are working on a further strengthening of the system and have made proposals
for ongoing improvement. Among these initiatives was a conference on this issue
held in Brussels in October including several member States other UN members and
also academia.
Cooperation with the Western Balkans
An initiative aiming to exchange best practices
in the field of counter-terrorism with six Western Balkan countries was started
in 2008 aiming to provide recommendations concerning national counter-terrorism
arrangements to the participating countries on the basis of a questionnaire and
on-site visits[27]. The Swedish
Presidency has pushed this file forward and the results of the initiative are expected by mid-2010.
ESDP
In the field of
ESDP concrete work has continued in particular with an ongoing update of the
"military database" and EDA contribution to combating terrorism
within the whole range of its activities to improve European capabilities. The
Capability Development Plan has identified transnational and locally based
terrorism as one of the strategic drivers when exploring future capability development.
Furthermore, the capabilities needed to handle asymmetric warfare are closely
linked to those needed to combat terrorism. The work is undertaken within two
overarching avenues: Prevent and Respond:
Prevent
All EDA activities
that are run in the frame of Intelligence are assisting in combating terrorism:
analyst and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) courses and the Common
Standardised User Interface (CSUI) conceptual demonstrator. Space Situation Awareness
could also be a way to protect our Space assets from terrorism. Additionally,
work on Computer Network Operations (CNO), with an active contribution of the
EU Military Committee, supports antiterrorism efforts in the domain of Cyber
Space.
Respond
Capabilities in
the areas of CBRN Detection, Identification and Monitoring (DIM) and CBRN Explosive
Ordnance Disposal (EOD) have been further developed. The project ÒBiological
Equipment Development and Enhancement ProgrammeÓ has been launched with 9 Member
States and Norway participating.
The work strand to Counter Man Portable Air Defence Systems (C-MANPADS)
has progressed; the creation of a Project Team has been approved and work will
continue on the general theme of "Protection of air assets against
ground-based threats".
The EDA-led work on Soldier Centric Identification System (SCIS)
continues as planned and will significantly enhance the protection of European
personnel on Counter Terrorism operations.