Terrorism: Council adopts conclusions intended to promote further actions to protect Europeans

The Council today adopted conclusions on achievements and next steps in protecting Europeans from terrorism.

The Council invites member states to continue discussions on the effective sharing of information on foreign terrorist fighters who constitute a serious threat. It calls on authorities to issue entry bans on third-country nationals who constitute a threat to national security and to continue entering these bans into the Schengen Information System. The Council encourages further cooperation between counter-terrorism authorities and authorities responsible for granting the right to reside, in order to ensure maximum coordination.

The Council also asks member states to explore ways to limit the means of action of those promoting radicalisation and calls for vigilance to ensure that organisations promoting violence and hatred cannot benefit from public funds. It invites member states to coordinate further on restrictive measures and measures to prohibit entry into the EU and asks the Commission to consider the need for legal developments allowing for mutual recognition of entry bans on terrorist suspects.

The Council highlights the need to continue exchanges regarding access to digital data, including in areas such as data retention, encryption or artificial intelligence. It also invites the Commission to assess whether a legislative initiative would be appropriate to establish minimum rules on crime definitions and sanctions in illicit arms trafficking.