After Paris: our immediate demands for counter-terrorism measures

Following the horrendous attacks in Paris last Friday, we call for immediate action in fighting terrorism. Europe needs a pact against terror. These are our proposals.

#antiterrorpact

1. Urgent finalisation of data-related files

• PNR (Passenger Name Records) Directive: inclusion of intra-EU flights and final conclusion of trilogues by December 2015
• Data Protection Directive: review of the text to identify any potential negative impact on law enforcement authorities' legal and technical capacity to exchange information and to investigate, operate and prosecute
• Stringent cooperation of Internet and social media companies in removal of illicit content online and decrypting terrorist communications

2. Strengthening EU agencies

• Europol Regulation: urgent conclusion of negotiations, including a legal basis for the Internet Referral Unit to be fully operational, and extra resources to upgrade technical capacities
• Frontex: extra resources to be provided for the strengthening of external border controls

3. Radicalisation and anti-terrorism legislation

• Radicalisation: preventing radicalisation in prisons and online, education and better integration as part of the strategy, taking appropriate measures in anticipation of the return of foreign fighters
• Illicit firearms trafficking: revision of the existing directive and operational action against black markets in Belgium, the Western Balkans and on the Darknet
• TFTP agreement: ensuring its prolongation and validity; the Commission should propose a European terrorist finance tracking programme
• EU blacklist of terrorist organisations including Salafist movements and organisations
• Revision of the framework decision on terrorism
• Foreign fighters: common definition and surveillance of returnees
• Support for victims of terrorism at European level
• Intelligence services: better information-sharing and cooperation among Member States is key

4. Border management/control

• Revision of the Schengen Border Code: to strengthen and better coordinate controls at internal borders
• Immediate tightening of external border controls
• Smart borders: Commission to urgently release its new proposal, swift adoption in the European Parliament to allow identification of the entry and exit of any individual and full access to data by law enforcement authorities, customs and border police
• Registration of migrants: in case of refusal from the migrant, systematic return or coercive measures to be applied; urgent set-up of hotspots

5. External dimension

• Fostering intelligence cooperation within the EU but also with our allies in NATO, namely the US
• Military action to be strengthened in Syria, ways of improving and fostering cooperation with third countries to end the civil war and ensure a political transition in Syria to be assessed
• Review of the cooperation with Turkey on counter-terrorism, terrorism financing and the control of external borders through the action plan.