Council recommendation of 9 December 1999 on cooperation in combating the financing of terrorist groups
Date: 1999-12-09
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Europol, cooperation policy, financing method, terrorism

23.12.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 373/1

(Preparatory Acts pursuant to Title VI of the Treaty on European Union)

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION

of 9 December 1999

on cooperation in combating the financing of terrorist groups

(1999/C 373/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union,

Considering the need to intensify the cooperation between
Member States in combating the financing of terrorist groups,

Considering that
information should take place,

to this end an enhanced exchange of

Considering that Europol should, as far as possible, be involved
in this cooperation,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS:

1. Member States to intensify their cooperation in combating

the financing of terrorist groups.

2. To this end they should exchange information on the
structures and modus operandi used for financing terrorist
groups operating in more than one Member State, which is
available to their
security authorities. The information
exchanged should be updated without delay as soon as
new intelligence is gathered in a Member State.

3. The competent Council Working Party should deal with
those terrorist groups presenting a specific threat and
which should be closer examined by the Member States’
security authorities. To this end:

(a) the central authorities of the Member States responsible
the terrorist groups should
for investigations against
share intelligence on these groups, especially on their
links with groups in other Member States;

(b) the competent authorities should match this information
intelligence in hand and examine
with the national
whether executive measures against the terrorist group
may be taken against this background on a national
level;

(c) on the basis of the respective national assessments, the
Council Working Party will consider proposals for a

initiative against a particular terrorist group or
joint
terrorist groups present
in more than one State,
involving those Member States that wish to participate,
in so far as such participation would be consistent with
their national laws.

4. Upon completion of

the intelligence for
such action,
importance for more than one Member State should be
exchanged and evaluated. The Member State holding the
office of President of
the Council, or another Member
State concerned, should report on the measures taken and
the newly gained intelligence.

5. Member States should participate in this procedure only to
the extent admissible pursuant to national law and in so far
as the organisation identified has violated the law in force in
the respective Member State. Therefore, no Member State
should feel obliged to take part in these measures.

6. All Member States

that

involved should ensure

the
information transmitted is handled absolutely confidentially.
The facts transmitted should be used exclusively for the
purposes of combating the financing of terrorist organi-
sations. It should not be permitted to share this information
with third countries without the consent of the sending
Member State. National procedures on confidentiality and
data protection are not affected by this recommendation.

7. The information should be transmitted through the Bureau

de Liaison channels.

8. As

the
far as possible and within the framework of
applicable law, Europol should participate in this cooper-
ation.

9. This Recommendation is without prejudice to existing
procedures of police cooperation between Member States.

Done at Brussels, 9 December 1999.

For the Council

O. HEINONEN

The President