Third progress report towards an effective and genuine Security Union

Summary:

This is the third monthly report on the progress made towards building 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 cowardly and despicable 19 December 2016 Berlin attack and the other terrible attacks of 2016 remind us again of our vulnerability and the need for us to continue working together to strengthen our collective security to protect our freedoms and way of life. Over the course of this reporting period concrete progress has been achieved on squeezing the space in which terrorists, and those who support them, can act.

This report outlines the new terrorist financing package adopted today, which is an important step in stemming the financial resources that sustain terrorism. To further close down the space for terrorists, the Commission is also improving information exchange, by adopting a set of proposals to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of the Schengen Information System. During this reporting period, there has also been significant progress on key EU legislative files to counter terrorism and organised crime, and to reinforce security at our borders. The European Parliament and the Council have now reached political agreement on the Directive on Combating Terrorism, the revision of the Firearms Directive and the revision of the Schengen Borders Code to allow systematic checks on EU citizens.

• Primary Source

ESO Records

ESO: Background information: Security Union: Commission adopts stronger rules to fight terrorism financing http://www.europeansources.info/record/security-union-commission-adopts-stronger-rules-to-fight-terrorism-financing/

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