WRITTEN QUESTION E-2672/01 by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the Council. Islamic terrorism in Europe.
Date: 2001-10-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Brussels region, EU police cooperation, Europe, international organisation, judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU, public safety, religious group, terrorism

C 134 E/74

Official Journal of the European Communities

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6.6.2002

intend to take in order to enable the security services of the
What urgent action does the Council
European institutions (cid:24) which are among the international targets of fundamentalist terrorists (cid:24) 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’.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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the European
The Council also informs the Honourable Member of
Commission has recently introduced a proposal for a draft Framework Decision which aims, inter alia, to
provide for a uniform definition and offence of terrorism in the Member States.

the European Parliament

that

The aforementioned draft Framework Decision has been transmitted to the European Parliament for its
Opinion and its adoption by the Council
the
21 September 2001 Extraordinary European Council.

the conclusions of

is highly urgent

in the light of

On a practical level, it is for each of the Union’s institutions to take measures to ensure that its own
security services adapt to meet current threats.

(2002/C 134 E/078)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2657/01

by Graham Watson (ELDR) to the Council

(3 October 2001)

Subject: EU-Algeria Association Agreement

What is the Council doing to ensure compliance by the Algerian authorities with agreements entered into
with the EU regarding respect for human rights?

Reply

(12 February 2002)

The EU is in the process of negotiating a Euro-Mediterranean Agreement with Algeria to replace the 1976
Cooperation Agreement. Negotiations have gathered momentum since last year and might be concluded in
the next few months. The Agreement will institutionalise regular political dialogue at various levels on all
aspects of mutual interest.

The draft Agreement provides that ‘respect for the democratic principles and fundamental human rights
established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights shall inspire the domestic and external policies
of the parties and shall constitute an essential element of this Agreement’. Upon the Agreement’s entry into
force, respect for human rights will thus become an essential element of the Agreement, serious breaches
of which will oblige the other party to take appropriate steps.

In addition to the Association Agreement, which requires the consent of the European Parliament and will
not enter into force until
it has been concluded by the Council and ratified by the Member States’
parliaments, the Council initiated a political dialogue with Algeria at ministerial level three years ago. This
is the forum in which the European Union, represented by the ministerial troika, regularly raises issues
relating to respect for human rights with the Algerian authorities and strongly insists that any departure
from this or any abuse in the fight against terrorism be avoided. On numerous occasions the European
Union has expressed its concern at reports of arbitrary detentions, extra-judicial arrests, the use of torture
and the fate of missing persons. In this context, the opening up of the country to human rights NGOs is a
very positive development. A meeting of the same nature is planned for mid-November in Brussels, which
will provide another opportunity to continue discussion of these matters with the Algerian authorities.

Lastly, Algeria has also subscribed to a number of principles in the framework of the Barcelona Process,
including the principle of respect for human rights and the rule of law. More specifically, at the fourth
Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Marseilles on 15 and 16 November 2000 the Presidency conclusions
called for a deepening of dialogue on the following subjects: the process of consolidating the rule of law,
and respect for human rights and democratic principles. Such dialogue concerning human rights has in
fact been initiated at Senior Official level.