A ‘mea culpa’ emerged from the emergency meeting on security matters on Friday (20 November), as EU member states acknowledged they did not use all the tools at their disposal to address the terrorist threats. Read the EurActiv.com article by Jorge Valero along with some key expressions to know. Questions for You:
Which expression is used to describe that Luxembourg is currently holding the EU Presidency? Which EU institution held its meeting on Friday (20 November)?
French infantry patrolling Paris. [Gwenael Piaser/Flickr] Terrorists with EU passports, such as the majority of the militants involved in the Paris attacks, represent a major challenge for the European authorities, as controls at the external borders are limited to a minimum check to establish their identity, through the verification (=inspection) of their travel documents, according to Schengen rules. Although the set of common risk indicators remains secret for security reasons, it allows member states to carry out systematic controls on all EU citizens arriving from a particular third country, or to all flights arriving into a particular member state. The ministers agreed on making these checks mandatory. Moreover, all EU citizens will be now considered a potential threat, so all EU travellers will be subject to a stricter scrutiny (=control), including checks against the Schengen Information System (SIS), as is the case for all third country nationals. … France asked for the crisis meeting with three requests on the agenda: bolstering (=strengthening) external border controls, setting up of a European Passenger Name Record (PNR) and the fight against the illegal trafficking of weapons. … Besides the loopholes =(flaws in the law) in the external border controls, ministers also emphasised that member states should improve their exchange of intelligence. Officials estimate that five member states share “half of the information” related to foreign terrorists, while the other capitals barely engage in the exchange of information. Therefore, the ministers agreed on making “maximum use” of the Schengen tools to improve the overall level of information exchange between counter-terrorism authorities in the EU. You may read the whole article HERE. AnwerKey: Follow the Headlines DaybyDay – Paris Breaking News: Coordinated deadly terror attacks in Paris Migrant crisis: Migration to Europe explained in graphics Image courtesy of Vlado at FreeDigitalPhotos.net If you like our website, share it with friends and colleagues. Thanks!
“We are completely aware” that the measures endorsed (=approved) by the EU ministers of Justice and Home Affairs have been discussed in the past, confessed (=admitted) Etienne Schneider, the Minister of Home Affairs of Luxembourg, whose country is at the EU’s helm this semester. But, he added, that after the Paris attacks on 13 November, when 129 people died, member states realized that they needed to implement them “as soon as possible”. Although they agreed last May on strengthening the checks for certain EU citizens, according to a set of common risk indicators, only a few governments are following these recommendations, EU officials pointed out.
Question 1: Luxembourg is currently holding the EU Presidency = It is at the EU’s helm this semester
Question 2: EU ministers of Justice and Home Affairs = Justice and Home Affairs Council
(a configuration of the Council of the European Union)
