INFORMATION NOTE FOR EPP MEPs \. SPR EPP 10 PRIORITIES TO FIGHT TERRORISM —04.04.2016 1. Fina adoption of the PNR Directive in April EPP has successfully contributed to reaching an agreement on this Directive with the Council, and its adoption in committee. The EPP has therefore repeatedly pushed for the directive to be finally adopted in plenary since the beginning of the year. The socialists, the liberals and the far right have systematically rejected this vote with unfounded and unjustified privacy concerns. ‘The directive has included the strongest safeguards for data protection, and the newly adopted directive on data protection will fully apply to this measure. 2. suit adoption of an ambitious Directive on Terrorism before summer break Alter the repeated attacks, Member States still cannot apprehend the foreign fighters’ threat in a coordinated manner as there is no common definition and no common judicial approach to it. EPP calls on the political groups to work constructively and swiftly to urgently (1) agree on a common definition of foreign fighters (2) harmonise the criminalisation of offences linked to terrorist travel, passive training, financing and facilitation of such travel. In addition MS must urgently agree on a common approach towards “returnees” to make sure that any returnee is put under judicial control once back on EU soil, before being prosecuted; the issue of gathering evidences in third countries and digital evidences must also be tackled. 3: °seepomne’ up tntarsiation exchange and modernising security and intelligence equipment Based on unfounded and unjustified privacy concerns, the left has very often opposed granting the access of certain databases to law enforcement authorities, or has render their inter connexion impracticable, EPP has always fought for those databases to be fully accessible by all relevant competent police and judicial authorities. Therefore EPP calls on the Commission to immediately present a decision on the interoperability and systematic access and sharing of information of the entire EU databases (ECRIS, SIS Il, VIS, Eurodac), including the development of an EU wide automated fingerprint recognition system integrated into SIS. A pilot project exists, it has now to be transformed into a fully fledge program. The systematic and mandatory feeding of those databases must be closely monitored by the Commission. EU Internal Security Fund should be increased and dedicated to developing modern tools to improve information sharing and intelligence operations; EPP calls on MS to put more resources into police and intelligences services to improve the surveillance of all suspected individuals. The collection, treatment, and analysis of information have to be improved. Finally, the EC must ensure that data and information can be exchanged between EU agencies without further legal obstacles (Europol and Frontex). A. developing robust strategies against radicalisation in prison and on Internet EPP calls on the Commission to immediately present a directive on minimum standards to prevent and detect radicalisation in prisons including a binding separation of radicalised inmates and foresee de-radicalisation programs; IRU of Europol to be strengthened to tackle radicalisation through Internet and social media: companies concerned must cooperate more. 1|PageINFORMATION NOTE FOR EPP MEPs 5 ‘Stopping the illegal firearms trafficking EPP has welcomed the Commission initiative to review the firearms directive; however, the core problem lies in the trafficking of illicit firearms, Therefore EPP calls for an immediate EU action plan against black market in Belgium and Western Balkans and on the Dark net. Furthermore SIS should be aligned with Interpol database on alerts on firearms “iArms". 6 ‘Systematic checks at external borders- coordinated internal borders controls Until now the systematic checks on persons crossing external borders only apply to third country nationals. However, the current threat posed by foreign fighters returnee’s concerns primarily EU nationals. Therefore, EPP calls for the urgent adoption of the amendment to the Schengen Border Code before summer break. EPP insists that the systematic check apply to entry and exit, and will not let the left wing water down the obligation to make those checks against not only databases on invalid documents but also against any other relevant database (SIS Il, ECRIS); Member States must set more regular coordinated and random controls at internal borders; EPP insists on the swift adoption of the European Border and Coast guards proposal and the adoption without further delay of the Smart Borders proposal. “1x ova apace re eee eaten ee and thote Beatie Support for any victim and their relatives should be facilitated in particular for individuals who have been victim of terrorist attacks abroad. Victims of terrorism must have the information they need and access to resources available from the MS and the EU from medical care to legal representation to psychological services. Victims should have the opportunity to participate in the accountability process that follows any terrorist attack. They should have access to the perpetrators’ court proceedings, and be afforded protection. In their process of healing and recovery, survivors can inform the global fight against terrorism. We need to elevate their voices and stories while also incorporating their wisdom into our counter-terrorism efforts. EPP calls therefore on the EC to present a directive on the protection of victims of terrorism. 8. Tackling the new forms of terrorism financing The existent set of measures need to be updated to take into account the emerging terrorism financing trends: EPP calls on the commission to present a new text on illicit cash movements, to enhance the sanctions and asset freezing in the EU and in third countries, to prolong the TFTP agreement and to present a proposal for an EU terrorism financing tracking system (TFTS). . swiseadoption on the ECRIS directive (criminal records exchange of information) Following the Paris attacks, the EC proposed to extend the existing database to third country nationals, who surprisingly enough were not covered till now. EPP supports this proposal and calls for its immediate adoption. EPP will particularly insist on the introduction of fingerprints in the system, despite the resistance shown by the left. EPP will similarly make sure that the database is accessible not only to judicial authorities but also to law enforcement. 10. improving counter-terorism cooperation with third countries EPP has always recognised terrorism as a global threat that requires an effective cooperation with strategic partners such as USA, Canada, but also Turkey, and the countries of North Africa and the Middle East. EPP regrets that the EP delayed the adoption of the EU Canada PNR, the current hesitation towards the EU/US umbrella agreement, and the repeated hesitations on Europol cooperation agreements with third countries. 2|Page