Press Release: Europe must have common instruments to tackle terrorism

The European Commission has called for greater harmonisation and closer cooperation in combating terrorism and crime. In adopting, on 19 September 2001, two proposals for framework decisions on the fight against terrorism and the European arrest warrant, it is hoped to facilitate genuine European cooperation in criminal matters on the basis of automatic mutual recognition between the Member States' judicial authorities. The package put forward by the Commission should make it more difficult for organised groups to avoid extradition from one Member State to another. A common European arrest warrant applied across the European Union would mean that a warrant for terrorist crimes issued by one Member State would be respected by the 14 other Member States. At present, nine Member States do not have any legislation on terrorism.

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