#ParisAttacks: Loopholes in European security must be closed

If there’s something we’ve learned from the Paris attacks, it’s the lack of information-sharing between intelligence services across the continent. One year on since Paris, the policing authorities and the intelligence community of the EU are cooperating more than ever before and we, the EPP Group, are trying to boost this exchange of information and intelligence. The unity and solidarity among Member States must lead to a real partnership which obtains concrete results, said Esteban González Pons, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group, ahead of the European Parliament debate on security.

The Chief Negotiator of the European Parliament, Monika Hohlmeier MEP, is currently in talks with EU Ministers on the Terrorism Directive which will criminalise travelling abroad for terrorist purposes. It will also criminalise travelling with the intention to commission or contribute to a terrorist offence, or receiving and providing training for terrorist purposes as well as terrorist financing.

“It is a big challenge for the EU to provide an adequate response to the threats posed by the European fighters returning from Syria or Iraq or other trouble spots around the world. Member States have to improve the exchange of good practice on preventing the recruitment of citizens by terrorist organisations, radicalisation by Salafists and hate preachers as well as detecting and disrupting the terrorist supply chains. They should also forward any information to other EU countries that could assist in the detection, prevention, investigation or prosecution of terrorist offences. Apart from this, Europol will be further equipped to be a coordination hub between national police institutions and intelligence services. They also have the task of monitoring on and offline terrorist activities such as propaganda, recruitment, training, hate preachers and terrorist financial flows across the EU and in cooperation with third countries”, said Hohlmeier.

It is hoped that the EU Terrorism Directive is adopted by the European Parliament and the Council by December of this year.