The factors favouring support for terrorism and the recruitment of terrorists

The EU Counter Terrorism Coordinator, Gijs de Vries, reported on the implementation of the EU Counter-Terrorism Strategy/Action Plan and the EU Strategy on Radicalisation and Recruitment.

Mr de Vries' report assessed progress since December 2005 and the state of play regarding ratification of the conventions and implementation of the legislative acts regarded as having priority.

In particular, he stressed that the search for more effective ways of decision-making is a critical element of the EU effectiveness in the fight against terrorism. The use of instruments such as framework decisions and conventions under the third pillar needs to be reconsidered, as it generally takes too long for the EU to reach decisions. Furthermore, decisions that are reached are not as ambitious as originally foreseen and once agreed, decisions often take years before they are implemented by all Member States.

In December 2005, the European Council adopted the European Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which has provided the framework for EU activity in this field. The strategic commitment of the Union is to combat terrorism globally while respecting human rights, and make Europe safer, allowing its citizens to live in an area of freedom, security and justice. The strategy groups all actions under four headings - PREVENT, PROTECT, PURSUE, RESPOND. The revised Action Plan follows this pattern with the objective of setting out clearly what the EU is trying to achieve and the means by which it intends to do so.