Fight against terrorism: socialist and liberal MEPs should act immediately on pending EU dossiers

The EPP Group in the European Parliament today presented its five priorities for actions that should be taken at EU level to fight against terrorism. In a statement to the press, Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group, Alain Lamassoure MEP, Head of the EPP Group's French delegation, and Esteban González Pons MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chair in charge of Legal and Home Affairs, called for immediate action at EU level.

“The barbarous terrorist attacks in Paris have touched us to the core. This was not only an attack against France, but also an attack against us all, our values, our lifestyle. The European family stands together. Now it is actions that matter, rather than words,” said Manfred Weber.

The three EPP Group MEPs called for swift decisions on dossiers that have been pending for years in the European Parliament, such as the establishment of an EU PNR (Passenger Name Records) system.

“An EU PNR system should have been in place since 2011. How many tragedies are necessary to convince the social democrats and the liberals in the European Parliament to act?” asked Alain Lamassoure MEP.

“In the past, social democrats and liberals have unfortunately constantly blocked legislation on security for ideological reasons. But Daesh will not be fought with nice speeches and good intentions. We call on social democrats and liberals to immediately support our proposals in the fight against terror. These decisions should be made before the end of the year,” said Manfred Weber MEP. 

“Jihadism is not a religion. It is an ideology. The EPP Group has made the fight against terrorism one of its priorities for years and we will continue to do so,” said Esteban González Pons MEP. “We urgently need an EU PNR. The EPP Group is calling for a review of the Data Protection Directive. Internet and social media companies should also cooperate more in the removal of illicit content online and decrypting terrorist communications. We are also calling for the strengthening of protection of external border controls," he said.

"Victims are at the centre of our strategy. Europe must take care of its victims,” González Pons added.

“All the crises that we have experienced over the past years, the financial crisis, the Ukraine crisis, the refugee crisis and now terrorism, have put the solidarity between European countries and populations into question. We must show that, faced with these common challenges, we are able to give common answers. There is no need to change the treaties. Let's use the existing tools,” said Alain Lamassoure MEP.