EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 70/70

(2004/C 70 E/073)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1992/03

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(16 June 2003)

Subject: Europe and terrorism

According to reports in the newspapers Corriere della Sera (Italy) and Diário de Notícias (Portugal), the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States of America, Prince Bandar, has warned the media that ‘something big’ is being prepared in Saudi Arabia or the United States, expressing fears that a large-scale terrorist attack is being planned.

The same reports mention a number of European countries (Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Germany and France) where sleeping cells belonging to organisations linked to al-Qa'ida are reported to be ready to join groups of mujahedin already in North America awaiting the signal to launch the attack.

The Commission:

— Does it have any information on these facts and can it confirm the fears expressed by the Saudi Ambassador to the US?

— Can it confirm the presence or suspected presence of al-Qa'ida cells or associates on the territory of EU Member States?

— What information does it have on Islamic fundamentalist terrorist activity on the territory of EU Member States?

— What information does it have on the activities of al-Qa'ida or its associates in North Africa and the Middle East?

— In what way is the Commission cooperating or is it prepared to cooperate with the countries of North Africa and the Middle East in the fight against international terrorism?

— What measures has it taken or will it take in response to this threat?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 2003)

The Commission follows developments concerning all forms of terrorism closely. It remains concerned about the serious threats which international terrorism continues to pose to the Union.

Within the Union the fight against terrorism is first of all the responsibility of the Member States, in particular their security, intelligence and police services. At general policy level Member States and Commission co-operate actively in order to improve the Union's overall effectiveness in the fight against terrorism in line with Article 29 of the Treaty on European Union.

The Commission is, therefore, not well placed to provide concrete information on the activities of international terrorist groups on the territory of the Member States. Similarly, the Commission can only play a small part in assessing the threat from terrorist attacks to European citizen's safety and to European interests more generally, whether those threats are internal or external to the Union. This is a task for all Member States as well as for the Presidency and the Secretary General/High Representative. It is an ongoing task which, by its nature, is not in the public domain. The same is true for measures that have been or may be taken in response to any terrorist threat.

However, the European response to terrorism goes wider than assessing the threat. The underlying factors which contribute to terrorism have also to be considered. Here the Commission can play a more substantive role. The Commission believes that the Union should use all the instruments at its disposal: development, trade, justice and home affairs policy and other aspects of the Barcelona process, as well as measures in the security field in order to combat the phenomenon of terrorism. It is not a task that will be completed overnight. But a concerted — and comprehensive — European approach is essential for us to have any chance of success.