Resolution on the extraordinary European Council meeting in Brussels on 21 September 2001

The European Parliament voted by 431 votes in favour, 45 against and 24 abstentions to adopt a resolution expressing its solidarity with the people and the government of the United States and its sympathy with the injured and the bereaved families of the victims. It condemns the 'shameless abuse of religion by those who committed these murderous acts, which cannot be reconciled with the peaceful Islam'. It expresses its full support for and solidarity with European Muslims and Muslims residing in the EU countries and firmly rejects opinions proclaiming the supremacy of any civilisation based on adherence to a particular religion. Parliament supports the idea of negotiating an international EU-US agreement on judicial and police co-operation, as well as the call for the broadest possible coalition against terrorism under the aegis of the United Nations. All actions in finding the perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of the attacks as well as those who protected them must be targeted, avoiding damage to innocent civilians. Parliament calls on the regime in Kabul to implement the Security Council Resolution demanding the handing over of those responsible for the attacks to international justice. It underlines that, independently of the current development, the Afghan people are affected tremendously by international terrorism and the Taliban regime and therefore wishes a major humanitarian effort to be undertaken. MEPs share the conclusion of the Council that the fight against terrorism will be more effective if it is based on an in-depth political dialogue with those countries and regions of the world in which terrorism originates and on continuing investment and support for conflict prevention. They stress the need to bring forward the convening of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Forum in connection with the Barcelona process in order to further intensify the political dialogue. They also welcome the renewed commitment by the European Council to bring peace to the Middle East and advocate the prompt reestablishment of a dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians on the basis of all the recommendations outlined in the Mitchell report. Parliament welcomes the two recent proposals by the Commission on combating terrorism and on the European arrest warrant and calls on the Commission to come forward with further legislation to combat terrorism, taking the most stringent national legislation as the point of departure, but meanwhile also strengthening parliamentary and judicial control and maintaining protection of fundamental rights and liberties. It urges Council to submit as soon as possible the framework decision on the European warrant, the common definition of terrorism, and the framework decision on joint investigation teams. It hopes, furthermore, that Council and Parliament will reach a consensus on the directive on international money laundering and calls for common action to impose adequate controls on international financial markets and to abolish off-shore banking and tax havens in order to effectively counter money laundering practices. Parliament urges the Council to serously consider integrating judicial and police cooperation - or at least, the fight against organised crime, including terrorism - in the firstpillar. The House calls on the Member States to speed up the process of ratification and implementation of the existing conventions on terrorism, including the International Convention on the suppression of the financing of terrorism, so far ratified by only one Member State. It also calls for the ratification of the statute of the International Criminal Court. The Parliament urges the Council to promote security measures with regard to all forms of public transport, particulary aviation and shipping. Lastly, Parliament deplores the fact that, just a few weeks before the terrorist attacks in the US occurred, two EU Member States, motivated by unresolved problems over the status of Gibraltar, vetoed the OECD report on fighting tax havens and offshore centres.�