The EU’s Response to the Threat of Terrorism
QCEA has been working on the subject of the EU’s Response to the Threat of Terrorism for some time. This first set of Briefing Papers represents our interim progress on this topic. They attempt to set out systematically what the EU has been doing in response to the threat of terrorism which has been very much in the forefront of policy debate. We look at this response in light of existing Treaties, in terms of the external policies of the EU and in terms of the internal policies of the EU. We also examine the relationships between EU actions and policies in this area and the US, NATO and the UN. Whatever we might think of the reality of that threat, the extent and magnitude of that threat, the definition of what is commonly referred to as terrorism or indeed the analysis of the causes of this threat, we must be clear that the EU, along with its Member States and many other countries in the world, has focused on this issue more and more, and particularly so since the events of 11 September 2001 and 11 March 2003. This is a very broad subject. We have therefore attempted to cover it from a broad perspective. There are 10 Briefing Papers in this series. They are briefly described below: (1) Historical Development and Context - PDF (90kb)
This briefing paper provides a short background to the historical development of the response to terrorism of the EU which predates 11 September 2001 and the change in this approach after that date. This is intended as a broad overview only. (2) In Context of the Treaties - PDF (112kb)
This briefing paper sets out relevant sections of the current Treaty governing the policy areas which are most relevant to this area of activity of the European Union. This is the Consolidated Version of the Treaty on European Union. This is a consolidated treaty of all the previous treaties including the amendments made by the Nice Treaty. It shows that the general objectives and goals set out by this Treaty, the more specific provisions relating to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and those relating to the policy regarding Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) connect with the European Union agenda in relation to the threat of terrorism.
(3) The Action Plan and Declaration - PDF (117kb)
The EU, in response to the events of 11 September 2001 and 11 March 2004 agreed an Action Plan (in September 2001) and a Declaration (in March 2004) setting out its approach to the threat of terrorism. This briefing paper examines both, sets out the main points of note in each and looks at some of the key differences. (4) The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator - PDF (82kb)
This briefing paper looks at the context of the EU response to terrorism in terms of externally focused actions and policy developments. It examines the aspects of the CFSP, the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), the European Security Strategy, the European Defence Agency and the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator in the context of this area of policy. (5) Justice and Home Affairs - PDF (156kb)
This briefing paper reviews the establishment and the policy development in Justice and Home Affairs. It is a relatively new area of activity and policy development in the EU but much has been done to ensure coordination and cooperation by Member States in this area in just 5 years. The measures taken are not uncontroversial, but this paper simply gathers the facts as far as possible and in an accessible form. It briefly points to the tension between protection from the effects of terrorist activity and the protection of civil liberties, but does not examine this question, nor the extensive literature which has developed over the last 5 years on this subject in detail. That is a matter for a future Briefing Paper. Because it reflects facts, the contents of this Briefing Paper should not be taken as setting out a position or opinion on the part of QCEA. (6) Civil Protection - PDF (60kb)
This Briefing Paper sketches out the EU initiatives taken to provide civil protection and to develop cooperation in this area. (7) The US-EU Joint Actions - PDF (99kb)
This paper examines the developments in cooperation and coordination in the area of terrorism between the EU and the US. This builds on the bilateral agreements between the US and the EU Member States which came before. It shows up the areas of difficulty arising from the differing perspectives of EU actors and the US Administration and from the differing perspectives of EU Member States among themselves. This area of policy development is one which has also raised concerns regarding the protection of civil liberties and human rights. This paper does not examine these concerns in detail, nor the extensive literature which has developed over the last 5 years on this subject in detail. That is a matter for a future Briefing Paper. (8) The EU and NATO - PDF (64kb)
This Briefing Paper sets out the relationship between the EU and NATO in this area. (9) The EU and the United Nations - PDF (118kb)
This Briefing Paper sets out very the approach taken by the UN in response to terrorism briefly and looks at the cooperation between the EU and the UN in this area. It also briefly compares the two approaches.
(10) Revised Action Plan, the Hague Programme and the Future - PDF (101kb)
This paper provides an overview of the following official EU documents: the Hague Programme, a 5 year pan-EU plan put forward by the Directorate General
Justice and Home Affairs; the Revised EU Action Plan on Terrorism of June 2005 and; the EU Strategy to Counter Recruitment to Terrorism and Radicalisation.
(11) The New EU Strategy, New Action Plan and the Future - PDF (239kb)
This paper outlines this new EU counter-terrorism strategy of December 2005, and the subsequent
action plan. It concludes with comments on likely future EU counter-terrorism action.
(12) Council of Europe Responses to the Threat Posed by Terrorism - PDF (106KB)
The Council of Europe has a history in developing measures to tackle the terrorist threats faced by its member states. This began with The European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, signed in 1977, and most recently involved a high-profile report on alleged secret detentions and unlawful inter-state transfers involving Council of Europe member states. This Briefing Paper outlines and examines the Council of Europe responses to the threat posed by terrorism.
The Briefing Papers 1 to 9 in this series were researched and written by Martyna Pospieszalska who worked with QCEA on this issue for 3 months during 2004 and for a brief period in 2005. Martyna was then a student at Vesalius College in Brussels and undertook this research as an internship. QCEA would like to express its sincere thanks to Martyna for the work she did on this project. Without that input, these Briefing Papers could not have been produced within a relatively short timescale. Instructions on downloading PDFs:  To read PDFs you need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To download the PDFs right click the link select "Save Target As" and save it on your computer. Please note that these are large files and depending on your connection speed may take some time to download
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