Last Monday night, MEPs of the Civil Liberties Committee accepted a resolution to illegalize all the acts involved in planning a terrorist attack in all member states, with 41 votes to 4 and 10 abstentions.
The amendments were prepared by rapporteur Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE) in light of the draft counter-terrorism directive, presented by the Commission on 2 December 2015 after the Paris attacks. After the vote Hohlmeier commented: "We have managed to strike a fair balance between ensuring security and respecting basic human rights, such as freedom of opinion, to travel and access education”.
The preparatory acts that will be criminalized with this directive are:
- Travelling abroad for terrorist purposes
- Providing or receiving training to carry out terrorist acts
- Public incitement or praise of terrorism
- Collecting or providing finances that in anyway contribute to terrorism
Besides the criminalizing of preparatory acts of terrorism, the committee also stresses the importance of helping victims of terrorism across borders and cooperation of member states with regard to sharing of information.
Now negotiations with the Council will be opened up by the rapporteur and the three way talks between Parliament, Council and Commission are expected to begin before the summer recess.
Read the press release here.