WRITTEN QUESTION E-2662/01 by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council. Threat of attacks on the European institutions.
Date: 2001-10-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU institution, EU police cooperation, Europe, chemical product, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU, public safety, religious group, terrorism

6.6.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 134 E/73

observe coming elections, actions to protect the freedom of the media, independence of the judiciary and
respect of its decisions and an end to the illegal occupation of properties. The Council undertook to take
appropriate measures if no substantial progress had been made in this period.

The Council on 8 October 2001 reiterated its concern over the situation in Zimbabwe and in particular
the lack of progress in the five areas identified by the Council. It agreed to return to the question after the
ministerial meeting between the EU Troïka led by the Council President, Deputy Prime Minster and
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Louis Michel, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, I. S.
G. Mudenge, which took place on 22 October 2001.

On 29 October 2001, the Council discussed developments in the Zimbabwean situation in the light of the
principal concerns it had expressed at its meeting on 25 June and noted that no visible progress had been
made. It reiterated the EU’s readiness to assist Zimbabwe in preparing and holding the elections, by the
sending of an exploratory mission. The Council also decided to launch the consultation procedure
provided for in Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement with a view to strengthening the ongoing political
dialogue. On this same occasion the European Union declared that it will give strong weight to ensuring
coordination and complementarity with the efforts of SADC and the Abuja process vis à vis Zimbabwe.

(2002/C 134 E/075)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2650/01

by Frank Vanhecke (NI) to the Council

(3 October 2001)

Subject: Combating terrorism in Europe

In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in the United States, it has become painfully clear that most EU
Member States do not have specific legislation to combat terrorism.

This is particularly true of Belgium, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and
Sweden.

Six Member States do have specific legislation on combating terrorism: Germany, Spain, France, Italy,
Portugal and Britain.

Thus in a Europe without internal border controls enormous disparities exist between Member States in
this field.

Yet there are strong indications that numerous Islamic fundamentalist organisations have their logistic
bases in Europe, where they can freely exploit the open borders.

What urgent recommendations will the Council make to these various Member States with a view to
creating in the very near future at least a minimum uniform legal basis for combating the scourge of
terrorism effectively?

(2002/C 134 E/076)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2662/01

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council

(3 October 2001)

Subject: Threat of attacks on the European institutions

According to authoritative reports which have appeared in the UK press, a group of Islamic fundamentalist
terrorists planned to carry out a murderous attack on the European Parliament during the part-session in
February 2001, using sarin gas.

C 134 E/74

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

6.6.2002

intend to take in order to enable the security services of the
What urgent action does the Council
European institutions D which are among the international targets of fundamentalist terrorists D to face
up to the technological threat posed, by means of intelligence activities conducted with a view to
preventing and countering terrorist attacks which might possibly be carried out with non-conventional
weapons?

Would it not agree that it should also ask the EU governments to coordinate their intelligence services so
as to enable them to monitor the presence on EU territory of existing or new terrorist networks and to
determine whether those networks are being given any support and by whom, whether they are being
funded through business or financial activities and whether any such funding is being our could be
channelled through the banking system?

(2002/C 134 E/077)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2672/01

by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council

(3 October 2001)

Subject: Islamic terrorism in Europe

On Friday, 14 September 2001 a joint operation by the French and Italian security services and Interpol
led to the capture of four terrorist suspects who in all probability have links with Osama Bin Laden. Two
of them, an Afghan and an Iranian, were stopped in Nice and the other two, both Afghans, were stopped
in Ventimiglia. The latter two had in their possession video tapes in which they both appeared with ‘high-
Islamic figures, together with photographs of massacres and an extremely detailed plan of
ranking’
Brussels.

Would the Council not agree that this shows that Brussels and the international institutions based there are
targets for possible terrorist attacks?

What urgent measures does it intend to take in response to the above events?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-2650/01, E-2662/01 and E-2672/01

(12 February 2002)

The Council invites the Honourable Member of the European Parliament to refer to the conclusions/action
plan as adopted on the occasion of its extraordinary meeting (Justice and Home Affairs) on 20 September
2001 and the conclusions of the European Council (21 September 2001) in which numerous practical
measures for combating and preventing terrorism are listed.

Coordination of the intelligence services of the Member States of the European Union to combat terrorism
is mentioned in the following recently adopted texts:

Paragraph 2(3) of the plan of action approved by the extraordinary European Council meeting on
21 September 2001 states that: ‘Member States will share with Europol, systematically and without
delay, all useful data regarding terrorism. A specialist anti-terrorist team will be set up within Europol
as soon as possible …’.

Paragraph 2 of the Declaration adopted by the Heads of State or Government at the informal meeting
of the European Council in Ghent on 19 October 2001 lists amongst immediate priorities ‘increased
cooperation between the operational services responsible for combating terrorism: Europol, Eurojust,
the intelligence services, police forces and judicial authorities’. Referring to the threat of biological or
chemical terrorist attacks, paragraph 5 of the Ghent Declaration stresses that ‘the authorities will
maintain increased vigilance and cooperation between the intelligence, police, civil protection and
health services will be stepped up’.