COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL Second Progress report towards an effective and genuine Security Union
Date: 2016-11-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: European security, area of freedom, security and justice, border control, cross-border cooperation, exchange of information, external border of the EU, fight against crime, terrorism, the EU's international role, transport safety

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.11.2016  COM(2016) 732 final   COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL Second Progress report towards an effective and genuine Security Union  
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION  

This  is  the  second  monthly  report  on  the  progress  made  towards  an  effective  and  genuine 
Security  Union  and  covers  developments  under  two  main  pillars:  tackling  terrorism  and 
organised  crime  and  the  means  that  support  them;  and  strengthening  our  defences  and 
building  resilience  against  those  threats.  The  first  progress  report,  adopted  on  12  October 
20161,  covered  the  period  from  April  to  October  2016:  this  Communication  reports  on 
progress since then and looks ahead to December 2016.  

A  year  since  the  Paris  attacks  where  reactivated  military  assault  weapons  were  used  with 
devastating  effect,  negotiations  on  the  revision  of  the  Firearms  Directive  tabled  by  the 
Commission  on  18  November  2015  remain  deadlocked  by  attempts  to  water  down  the 
proposals. The work must now be finalised before the end of this month if we are to honour 
the  memory  of  the  Paris  victims  and  also  to  deliver  on  the  legitimate  expectation  of  our 
citizens  that  military  grade  weapons  should  not  be  in  private  hands.  Negotiations  also  need 
urgently to be concluded on the Directive on Combatting Terrorism to criminalise terrorism 
and support for terrorism across the Union and on amendment of the Schengen Borders Code 
to  help  tackle  returning  Terrorist  Fighters  by  introducing  systematic  checks  of  all  persons 
crossing the external border.  

In line with the priority underlined in President Juncker's 2016 State of the Union address and 
as  elaborated  in  the  Commission's  Communication  of  14  September  2016  on  enhancing 
security in a world of mobility2, the Commission is driving forward other important measures 
to close down the space for terrorists through proposals to strengthen borders. This includes 
bringing forward today a proposal for an EU Travel and Identification Authorisation System 
(ETIAS)  to  allow  for  prior  checks  of  third  country  nationals  who  do  not  require  a  visa  to 
travel to the Union, and taking the necessary operational steps following the launch of the EU 
Border and Coast Guard to tighten controls at the external border. The Commission has also 
further  strengthened  its  work  on  countering  radicalisation  by  reinforcing  the  Radicalisation 
Awareness  Network  to  stop  those  who  are  young  and  vulnerable  falling  prey  to  terrorist 
recruiters  and  propaganda.  December's  report  will  be  accompanied  by  the  final  proposals 
under  the  terrorist  financing  Action  Plan  to  deny  terrorists  the  financial  means  through 
proposals on the criminalisation of money laundering, strengthening the mutual recognition of 
assets freezing and confiscation orders as well as a proposal on tackling illicit cash payments. 

II.  STRENGTHENING  OUR  FIGHT  AGAINST  TERRORISM  AND  ORGANISED 
CRIME, AND MEANS TO SUPPORT THEM  

a) Legal framework for combatting terrorism and cutting access to financing and firearms  

With  the  anniversary  of  the  13  November  2015  Paris  attacks,  the  EU  urgently  needs  to 
strengthen the legal framework3 and its capacity to fight terrorism and the means that support 
it. Co-legislators need now to agree, by the end of November, on the proposal for a Directive 

1 Communication COM(2016) 670 final, of 12 October 2016 First progress report towards an effective and 
genuine Security Union. 
2 Communication COM(2016) 602 final of 14 September 2016 Enhancing security in a world of mobility: 
improved information exchange in the fight against terrorism and stronger external borders. 
3 In particular on the Commission proposals for a Directive on combatting terrorism, COM(2015) 625 final, and 
for a Directive amending Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of 
weapons, COM(2015) 750 final. 

2 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
on  combatting  terrorism  to  establish  terrorism,  terrorist  travel  and  helping  and  supporting 
terrorists  as  criminal  offences  across  the  Union,  and  to  address  the  needs  of  victims  of 
terrorism. 

Following two trilogue meetings, the co-legislators were still unable to agree on the revision 
of  the  Firearms  Directive.  These  negotiations  must  be  unblocked  to  take  military  grade 
assault  weapons  off  the  streets  including  those  converted  to  semi-automatic  use.  The 
Commission's position is clear that semi-automatic assault weapons derived from the "AK 47 
Kalashnikov family" and the "AR 15 family" should be banned for civilian use given that they 
were designed for military use. Magazine sizes for short and long firearms should be limited 
to 10 rounds and should be subject to authorisation and stringent checks and any derogation 
should be strictly limited and tightly controlled. EU citizens expect swift progress in this area 
to  ensure  their  protection,  so  we  must  reach  agreement  before  the  end  of  2016  on  this  key 
piece of legislation. In parallel, the Commission will launch a renewed push to clamp down 
on the illegal firearms trade including at the EU/Western Balkans Justice and Home Affairs 
Ministers' Conference on 15-16 December.  

To  cut  off  terrorists'  access  to  funds,  the  Council  has  adopted  the  acts  necessary  for  EU 
autonomous listings against Al Qaida and ISIL/Da'esh. 

b) Preventing and fighting radicalisation 

Preventing radicalisation is a key component of the EU's approach to tackling terrorism: using 
"soft"  tools  to  deliver  hard  results.  Terrorist  recruiters  target  young  and  vulnerable  groups, 
exploiting  feelings  of  exclusion,  isolation  and  disaffection.  We  need  to  target  the  same 
individuals  through  grassroots  community  projects  to  offer  them  an  alternative  and  better 
path. That is why the Commission set up and supports the Radicalisation Awareness Network 
(RAN)  bringing  together  local  actors  and  sharing  best  practice  on  what  works  in  the  fight 
against radicalisation. The 9 November 2016 High Level Conference of the Radicalisation 
Awareness  Network  (RAN)  launched  a  new  "RAN  Young"  platform  to  empower  young 
people  to  take  an  active  role  in  the  prevention  of  radicalisation  of  a  key  target  group  for 
terrorist  recruiters.  The  Commission  also  presented  the  "repository  of  prevent  strategies, 
approaches and policies in Member States" underpinned by a new network of contact points 
to ensure an efficient exchange of best practices across the EU. The Radicalisation Awareness 
Network  has  also  published  a  comprehensive  guide  on  training  programmes  for  police 
officers in Europe covering various aspects of radicalisation. Work was launched to develop a 
checklist  for  Member  States  of  actions  to  take  when  identifying  returning  foreign  terrorist 
fighters. 

Preventing radicalisation also means denying terrorists the on-line propaganda channels they 
use  to  deliver  their  message.  On  8  December,  the  Commission  will  host  the  second  EU 
Internet  Forum  bringing  together  the  Commission,  Member  States,  EUROPOL  and  key 
Internet companies.  The meeting  will deliver a new Joint referrals  Platform to  speed up the 
removal  of  terrorist  content  and  will  launch  a  Civil  Society  Empowerment  Programme  to 
reinforce counter-narratives. 

The  Commission  is  also  using  its  education  and  research  resources  in  the  fight  against 
radicalisation  as  set  out  in  the  Communication  on  preventing  radicalisation  leading  to 
violent extremism4 including:  

4 COM(2016) 679 final. 

3 

 
 
 
                                                            
  Erasmus+  programme  -  in  2016,  the  Commission  mobilised  EUR  200  million  for 
grass-root  education  projects  to  promote  social  and  civic  skills;  non-discrimination; 
social  inclusion;  critical  thinking  and  media  literacy  as  well  as  intercultural 
understanding.  There  are  now  over  300  youth  projects  in  the  field  of  learning 
mobility dealing specifically with areas linked to the Paris Declaration5, and more than 
1700  projects  on  broader  issues  linked  to  intercultural  dialogue,  social  inclusion  and 
solidarity. 

  Financing research into the mechanisms leading to violent radicalisation to prevent, 
identify more rapidly and to address individual extreme cases under Horizon 2020.  
  Through  on-going  financing  of  EUR  100  million  to  promote  activities  to  counter 

violent extremism in third countries.  

c) Improving operational cross-border cooperation with the support of EU Agencies 

EU agencies play a key role in the implementation of the security agenda. The Commission 
has  delivered  on  its  commitment  to  reinforce  Europol  by  proposing  a  further  additional  20 
staff for the European Counter-Terrorism Centre to increase its capacity to  respond on 24/7 
basis to Member States in the case of a major terrorist attack. This proposed reinforcement is 
in addition to the 35 staff granted following the EU amending budget 1/2016 adopted by the 
budgetary authority on 13 April 2016.6 

Eurojust is also playing an important role in the fight against terrorism including the current 
situation  in  Iraq  and  Syria  and  the  increased  risk  of  returning  foreign  terrorist  fighters. 
Eurojust  is  already  assisting  Member  States  in  complex  cross-border  investigations  and  the 
Commission encourages Member States to use Eurojust in joint investigations teams (JITs) to 
strengthen  the  judicial  response  to  foreign  terrorist  fighters.  In  this  context,  Member  States 
need  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  meet  the  transposition  deadline  of  22  May  2017,  of  the 
European Investigation Order7 as it will facilitate and accelerate the gathering and transfer 
of evidence.  

III. STRENGTHENING OUR DEFENCES AND RESILIENCE 

a)  Improving information exchange 

Effective and targeted information exchange is a key tool in the fight against terrorism. The 
Commission  is  actively  driving  the  implementation  of  the  EU  Passenger  Name  Record 
(PNR)  Directive  to  ensure  that implementation  is  on track  for  the  May  2018  deadline.  The 
Directive not only requires all Member States to collect data of airline passengers but also to 
be  able  to  process  that  data  to  detect  patterns  and  anomalies.  Following  the  last  progress 
report, the Commission has written to eleven Member States who have yet to start work on 
implementing PNR to offer further support in this area. The Commission will bring forward a 
the  end  of  November  2016.  This 
Better  Regulation 
Implementation  Plan  will  provide  guidance  to  Member  States  by  identifying  milestones  for 
key elements towards establishing a PNR system and setting out the various types of support 
(legal, technical and financial) that the Commission provides to help and support the timely 
and effective implementation. 

implementation  plan  before 

5 Paris Declaration of 17 March 2015 promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and 
non-discrimination through education. 
6 COM(2016) 679 final. 
7 Directive 2014/41/EU of 3 April 2014 on the European Investigation Order in criminal matters. 

4 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
Fighting  cross-border  crime  and  terrorism  requires  effective  cooperation  channels  between 
different  law  enforcement  authorities.  In  border  regions,  the  Police  and  Customs 
Cooperation  Centres  (PCCCs)  bring  together  the  law  enforcement  authorities  of  different 
Member States. The 50 PCCCs across Europe met at Europol headquarters in October 2016 to 
identify ways to improve the PCCCs´ core tasks, information exchange and cooperation with 
Europol and the European Border and Coast Guard.  

b) Strengthening information systems and closing information gaps 

As the October 2016 European Council recognised in its support for the Commission proposal 
for the setting up of a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)8 
to  allow  for  advance  security  checks  on  visa-exempt  travellers..  On  16  November  the 
Commission tabled a proposal for a Regulation to set up ETIAS which will be an automated 
pre-clearance system used to identify possible immigration or security risks prior to the arrival 
of  visa  exempt  travellers  at  the  EU´s  external  border.  While  today  the  information  of  visa-
holders  is  registered  in  the  Visa  Information  System  (VIS),  the  only  information  on  visa-
exempt  persons  comes  from  their  travel  document  when  they  arrive.  Currently,  no  advance 
information is available for visa-exempt persons entering the EU through land borders prior to 
their arrival at the EU’s external border. It will also support the EU's visa liberalisation policy 
and strengthen the quality of Schengen border management. 

Stronger borders underpinned by connected information systems are a central tool in detecting 
returning  terrorist  fighters  and  other  potential  terrorists.  The  Paris  attacks  highlighted  the 
weaknesses  of  having  multiple  self-standing  information  systems  making  it  impossible  for 
those  on  the  ground  to  ensure  a  comprehensive  check  of  an  individual  across  all  databases. 
The  Commission  is  working  actively  on  how  to  improve  the  interoperability  of  information 
systems  for  borders  and  security  through  the  process  that  it  initiated  earlier  this  year.9  The 
Commission is working on the establishment of a  Single Search Interface - a key tool that 
would  deliver  real  benefits  for  Member  States  law  enforcement,  border  and  immigration 
authorities - that would create a single technical portal to the systems operated by the Agency 
for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the area of freedom, security and 
justice (EU-LISA). Such a Single Search Interface would not replace national interfaces, but 
would complement them and be available to all Member States in line with existing rules on 
access and use of the systems. The Commission has asked the High Level Expert Group on 
Information Systems and Interoperability (HLEG) to present an interim report of its findings 
before the end of the year.  

On 14 October 2016, the Commission presented an evaluation report on the implementation 
of the Visa  Information System (VIS) to analyse the way checks are conducted at the EU´s 
external  border  using  fingerprinting  and  biometrics  as  well  as  the  use  of  the  system  by  law 
enforcement  authorities  for  the  prevention,  detection  and  investigation  of  terrorist  offences 
and  other  serious  criminal  offences.  VIS  remains  one  of  the  most  advanced  systems  of  its 
kind, with close to 23 million visa applications and 18.8 million fingerprints registered by the 
end  of  March  2016.  However,  only  one  in  two  issued  visas  is  being  checked  by  Member 
States against VIS at external borders and the use of VIS for law enforcement purposes is still 
fragmented.  The  Commission  will  address  these  challenges  in  the  use  of  VIS  with  the 
Member States concerned on the basis of best practices by those Member States that already 
make full use of the system. 

8 EUCO 31/16 of 21 October 2016. 
9 COM(2016) 205 final of 6 April 2016. 

5 

 
 
                                                            
c) Enhancing security at the external border 

A key step in strengthening the security of the EU external border was the 6 October launch 
of the European Border and Coast Guard. Each Member State must now contribute to the 
rapid reaction pool, which is a standing corps of border guards and other relevant staff at the 
Agency’s disposal. The Agency will be able to draw on this pool at short notice to address an 
urgent situation at the external border or to launch a rapid border intervention. In line with the 
Conclusions of the October European Council10, the staff and equipment should be deployed 
to  reach  full  capacity  for  rapid  reaction  by  the  end  of  the  year.  As  a  concrete  example  of 
cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard outside the EU's border, it was agreed 
to increase the analytical, preventive and operational capacities of third countries' authorities, 
notably  in  Africa,  in  the  fight  against  criminal  networks  responsible  for  migrant  smuggling 
and to build meaningful trust and networking amongst key countries.  
The October European Council11 also called for the swift adoption of the revised  Schengen 
Borders  Code  proposed  by  the  Commission  to  enforce  systematic  controls  on all  travellers 
crossing  EU  external  borders  to  reinforce  security.  Given  the  central  importance  of  these 
revisions to the fight against terrorism and particularly in helping to detect returning foreign 
fighters, the co-legislators need now to reach rapid agreement on the changes before the end 
of this year 

In  December  the Commission will  present a first  set of proposals  to  improve the  Schengen 
Information  System  (SIS)  functionalities,  in  particular  for  law  enforcement  purposes.  To 
maximise  its  effectiveness,  border  guards  need  to  systematically  check  all  persons  crossing 
the  external  border  against  the  system.  Pending  agreement  on  the  amendments  to  the 
Schengen Borders Code, the Member States should ensure that the common risk indicators 
as regards foreign terrorist fighters are fully applied, in conjunction with the updated guidance 
provided by the European Border and Coast Guard. 

Travel document and identity fraud is a growing security threat as highlighted by the use of 
false  identities  by  the  Paris  attackers.  The  Commission  will  present in  December  an  Action 
Plan to improve the security features in travel documents. 

Strengthening security at the external border not only relates to individual travellers but also 
to goods where customs authorities are in the front line. The reform of the Advance Cargo 
Information System (ICS 2.0) seeks to expand and modernise the system to capture, via a 
secure EU repository, more and better quality information on goods movements from traders 
and  making  this  information  available  to  all  customs  authorities.  The  aim  is  to  overcome 
existing constraints (no comprehensive data, from a qualitative and quantitative point of view; 
limited  availability  to  Member  States  concerned;  limited  capacity  to  use  intelligence).  The 
Council intends to adopt Conclusions on this issue in December 2016.  

d) Enhancing EU security with dialogues beyond EU borders 

Given  that  terrorism  is  international  in  nature  and  terrorists  do  not  respect  borders,  the  EU 
continues  to  be  actively  engaged  in  discussions  with  its  neighbours  and  other  international 
partners to develop effective security and counterterrorism partnerships.  

Recent developments include:  

 

Increased coordination between EU Delegations and Member States' embassies with three 
additional  Counter-Terrorism 
in  Bosnia-
/  Security  experts  being  appointed 
Herzegovina, Chad and Lebanon, bringing the total number of experts to 14.  

10 EUCO 31/16 of 21 October 2016. 
11 EUCO 31/16 of 21 October 2016. 

6 

 
 
                                                            
  EU-Israel  counter-terrorism  Dialogue  held  in  Israel  on  13  September  discussed  greater 
cooperation  in  countering  terrorist  financing,  violent  extremism,  non-conventional 
terrorism, as well as in PNR and transport security. 

  A  joint  visit  by  the  Commission  services,  the  EEAS  and  the  EU  Counter-Terrorism 
Coordinator to Egypt on 6-7 September agreed to cooperate on a wide range of security 
matters.  

  A workshop was organised by the EU authorities in Iraq on 26-27 September to share the 

best practices in countering terrorism.  

e) Protecting citizens and critical infrastructures 

A key area of building resilience within the Union is in transport security.  The Commission 
is working to strengthen the EU´s regulatory framework. Although this work has already been 
done  for  aviation,  it  is  necessary  to  maintain  the  level  of  protection  and  anticipate  future 
threats such as security of inbound flights and landside protection. The Commission hosted a 
conference  on  the  protection  of  public  areas  on  7-8  November  2016  with  national  and 
international experts from the fields of transport, intelligence, and industry, focusing on how 
to secure public transport areas.  

The Commission is also focusing on  risk assessment in the transport sector. It has recently 
finalised  the  6th  round  of  air  cargo  security  risk  assessment  as  well  as  the  3rd  round  of  the 
assessment of risks to aviation from conflict zones in cooperation with Member States and 
the EEAS.  

The Commission is also conducting work on maritime and land transport, particularly for 
cruise and ferry services, where large number of passengers may be affected, and for railway 
services,  work  to  define  a  risk  based,  proportionate  and  sustainable  common  approach.  The 
Commission has just concluded an impact assessment study on policy options for the security 
of European high-speed and international rail services. 

Finally,  the  Commission  has  further  strengthened  its  cooperation  with  strategic  partners 
through  the  cooperation  with  the  Department  of  Homeland  Security  in  the  US  and  Public 
Safety Canada as regards critical infrastructure protection. In September, the Commission 
met these partners to deepen the discussion on key issues of critical infrastructure protection, 
cyber  security  and  resilience  and  to  deepen  cooperation  in  key  areas  regarding  explosives 
including detection, training and information sharing.   

V. CONCLUSION 

One  year  after  the  horrific  terrorist  attacks  in  Paris  on  13  November,  the  Commission,  EU 
Agencies  and  Member  States  have  taken  a  wide  range  of  non-legislative  action  that 
contributes to the progressive development of an effective and genuine Security Union.  But 
further  progress  is  urgently  needed  to  close  down  the  space  exploited  by  terrorists.  The  co-
legislators now urgently need to reach an agreement this month on the proposed Directive on 
combatting  terrorism,  the  proposed  revision  of  the  Firearms  Directive  and  the  proposed 
amendments  to  the  Schengen  Borders  Code.  Further  delay  benefits  only  the  terrorists  who 
seek to destroy our way of life. 

The work on strengthening  external border  systems including ETIAS, the operationalisation 
of  the  European  Border  and  Coast  Guard  and  the  proposed  amendments  to  the  Schengen 
Borders Code are important components of the EU response to the threat posed by returning 
Terrorist Fighters and need now to be taken forward as a priority by the co-legislators. 

7 

 
 
 
 
Although the grassroots work to prevent radicalisation through the Radicalisation Awareness 
Network is a long-term endeavour, it is vital and requires immediate and strong engagement 
and support at EU level.  

The Commission will continue to drive forward work on the implementation of the European 
Agenda  on  Security,  towards  an  effective  and  genuine  Security  Union,  and  will  report  on 
further  progress  in  December.  In  addition  to  key  milestones  set  out  below,  the  December 
report will include updates on progress made in the area of cybercrime and cyber security and 
developments in the ongoing work with IT companies to tackle online radicalisation.  

8 

 
 
 
 
KEY ISSUES AND EVENTS IN THE MONTHS TO COME: 

STRENGTHENING OUR FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM AND ORGANISED CRIME, 

AND MEANS TO SUPPORT THEM  

a) Legal framework for combatting terrorism and cutting access to financing and firearms  

- 

-  

The European Parliament and the Council need urgently, and by the end of 2016 at the latest, 
to  agree  on  the  draft  Directive  on  Combatting  Terrorism,  and  to  reach  agreement  on  the 
revision of the Firearms Directive before the end of the year. 

The  Commission  will  present  a  package  of  proposals  in  December  to  strengthen  the  fight 
against  terrorist  financing  through  proposals  on  the  criminalisation  of  money  laundering, 
strengthening  the  mutual  recognition  of  assets  freezing  and  confiscation  orders  as  well  as  a 
proposal on tackling illicit cash payments.  

b) Preventing and fighting radicalisation 

- 

The  second  high-level  meeting  of  the  EU  Internet  Forum  on  8  December  2016,  will  steer 
further  work  on  preventing  online  radicalisation  and  tackling  terrorist  propaganda  on  the 
internet.  It  will  establish  a  new  Joint  Referrals  Platform  and  a  Civil  Society  Empowerment 
Programme.  

STRENGTHENING OUR DEFENCES AND RESILIENCE 

a)  Improving information exchange 

-           The Commission will present a Better Regulation Implementation Plan on PNR before the end 

of November 2016. 

b) Strengthening information systems and closing information gaps 

- 

- 

The Commission urges the co-legislators to start working on its proposal to establish an EU 
Travel and Information Authorisation System (ETIAS) as a matter of urgency. 

The  High-Level  Expert  Group  on  Information  Systems  and  Interoperability  will  present  its 
interim report before the end of December 2016. 

 c) Enhancing security at the external border 

-  

- 

The  Commission  urges  the  co-legislators  to  agree  the  targeted  amendment  of  the  Schengen 
Borders Code for systematic checks, to allow adoption before the end of the year. 

The Commission will present in December a Communication on an action plan to improve the 
overall security of travel documents. 

d) Protecting citizens and critical infrastructures 

- 

The  Commission  will  accelerate  its  work  on  defining  a  common  approach  to  security  in 
maritime and land transport, which should be risk-based, proportionate and sustainable. 

9