Fight against terrorisme: exchange of information and intelligence concerning terrorist offences

The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Antoine DUQUESNE (ALDE, BE) on the exchange of information and intelligence concerning terrorist offences. (Please see the document dated 24/05/2005.) Amongst its recommendations, Parliament felt that the Council should base its action on three guidelines:

- making the necessary resources available to identify each of the targets to be achieved, in the clear knowledge that terrorism is not one single phenomenon but on the contrary a multi-faceted problem, which varies according to the type of acts committed, the various terrorist organisations involved and the objectives pursued;

- making the instruments for tackling terrorism more effective by adopting a realistic approach, based on an understanding of the very close links which often exist between the various terrorist organisations and between terrorism and large-scale organised crime, in particular with regard to funding aspects;

- avoiding a large increase in the number of legal instruments to combat terrorism and seeking, instead, to simplify existing instruments.

Further, there should be adopted a handbook of good practices for police officers, providing them with an explanation in simple terms of the context in which they are to act, in particular with regard to the transfer and gathering of information and data protection.

Parliament also made a series of recommendations on data protection and the right to privacy.