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What can Europe do, what does Europe do in the face of terrorism?

Minute of silence in the European institutions after the Manchester attack (credit: Council of the EU / Archives B2 May 2017)

(B2) In the fight against terrorism, the European Union is not in the foreground. Internal security remains the sole responsibility of the Member States. But above all, it comes in support.

A harmonized European legislative framework

The main task devolved to the European level is the establishment of a comprehensive legislative mechanism valid in all countries. This may seem like a detail. But it is a matter of not having any flaws in the European system.

It starts with the definition of terrorism. It's not a detail. This makes it possible to have in the 28 Member States the same legal basis for bringing a person to justice. This text has just been reinforced.

This continued with the establishment of a European arrest warrant – which makes it possible to speed up the transfer of suspects from one country to another – and the establishment of joint investigation teams.

Finally, various texts have defined the exchange of information to fight against money laundering (and the financing of terrorism), to ensure the exchange of information on air transport passengers (PNR data).

Promote cooperation between the police and justice

The European Union has also set up an agency (Europol) responsible for facilitating police cooperation between the different Member States, as well as another agency (Eurojust) responsible for facilitating judicial cooperation. Within Europol, a European center in charge of the fight against terrorism (ECCT) was created in January 2016, initially composed of around sixty agents delegated by the capitals (France, Belgium, Germany, etc. ).

A small unit also operates within the European Diplomatic Service, the IntCen, responsible for aggregating information from various sources, generally open but also from EU delegations (read our fact sheet: IntCen. Where is he from ? What is he doing ? With whom ? On what basis?). An EU anti-terrorist coordinator has been appointed (today Gilles de Kerchove) within the Council of the European Union, ensuring monitoring and liaison between the "operational" and the politicians, making it possible to sound the alarm on the various problems encountered or to publicly express concerns. A political post was created in June 2016 at the European Commission, responsible for ensuring the rise of the Security Union, particularly focused on the fight against terrorism (post devolved to the British Julian King).

Financial penalties

The third line of action is the establishment of a blacklist of persons and groups committing terrorism. This list, updated every six months, is valid in all European countries. It allows the freezing of assets and the prohibition of visas of any person appearing therein. The list derives largely from the blacklist established at the international level (UN) in the context of the fight against Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group (ISIL/ISIS/Daesh). But the European Union can add names and groups autonomously. (Read our sheet: The EU anti-terrorist list. How is it established? Who is there?).

Information exchange

Europe has no direct means of intervention. But it coordinates certain actions, such as the small "fraternity" unit set up after the Paris attacks at Europol, made up mainly of French and Belgians. It has also set up instruments for collecting and exchanging information such as the Schengen system (SIS II), the Visas file and the asylum seekers file (Eurodac). A common interface is in the process of being created to avoid black areas (the person exists in the file, but they were not found in time). The rest of the exchanges are done directly between services (internal security, intelligence, judicial police, etc.).

And it usually works well (contrary to what some observers claim). We " exchange confidently and intensively with certain countries. Between Belgians and French, relations are intense and daily. Same with German or Spanish services ” confided to me recently an actor well aware of these questions. Corn " it is based on one element: trust ". Essential point of the notion of sensitive information exchanges. These exchanges sometimes come up against certain refusals or difficulties. But these are just as much related to the national sovereignty of each country or lack of trust, as to the confidentiality of sources (essential in this field) or to the relevance of information (what is the point of exchanging information which we is not really sure).

External action

Very early on, the Europeans became aware of having to organize a common exterior in the fight against terrorism. This action was more the object of direct multinational cooperation between the Member States. From 2011, and with the increase in the threat in the Sahel, this strategy began to materialize: certain CSDP missions were reinforced with this objective (in Mali) or even specifically implemented (in Niger). "Security" attachés are recruited in a few particularly exposed EU embassies (Lebanon, Jordan, Algeria, Tunisia, etc.). A European cell has been set up especially in Bamako to help the G5 Sahel to gain momentum. (Also read: The external counter-terrorism strategy (sheet)).

Commentary: Europe a rear support role

In the end, if we want to take a sporty image, Europe is thus a bit like the back of a rugby (or football) team. It is not he who is going to score the try, or take the ball. But it blocks attacks. And he comes to the aid of his forwards and pillars in difficulty, during a scrum. This is the main thing: to ensure that there are no holes in the European anti-terrorist "web", to ensure a certain community of ideas and reflections to enable everyone to act as closely as possible .

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Read also: Anti-terrorism. What Europe lacks

Our File No. 32. Europe facing a new wave of terrorism)

 

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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