Parliament’s endorsement of a draft proposal on combating terrorism

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee endorsed on 5 December 2016 the informal agreement reached with the Council of the European Union on 17 November as regards a draft proposal from the European Commission on combating terrorism. The plenary session confirmed the vote on 16 February 2017.

These draft rules replace the previous Council Decision 2002/475/JHA on combating terrorism. Under the proposal, foreign fighters and 'lone wolves' training and preparing terrorist attacks on European soil were set to be criminalised. Parliament’s negotiators inserted a clause stressing that fundamental rights and freedoms must be respected.

The proposal was released by the Commission in December 2015. The Council agreed on its initial negotiating position in March 2016. Following the agreement on a compromise text, the Council's permanent representatives committee endorsed it on 30 November. The compromise text still needed to be formally endorsed by the Parliament's plenary session as well as by the Council of the European Union before full adoption.

ESO: Background information: The draft EU Directive on Combating Terrorism: Much Ado About What? http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-draft-eu-directive-on-combating-terrorism-much-ado-about-what/

European Parliament: Press Release, 05.12.16: Clampdown on terrorism - new counter-terrorism law backed by civil liberties MEPs http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20161205IPR54601/

ESO: Background information: Combating terrorism http://www.europeansources.info/record/combating-terrorism-3/

Politico, 16.02.17: MEPs back new EU-wide rules to fight terror http://www.politico.eu/article/meps-back-new-eu-wide-rules-to-fight-terror/

European Parliament: Infographic, 16.02.17: Infographic: how Parliament is addressing the terrorism threat http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/

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