“We stand determined in our common fight against terrorism. As stated by the Heads of State or Government and the leaders of European institutions, this is an attack on our open, democratic society. We will uphold our values also in fighting terrorism.” The firm condemnation of violence, in solidarity with the victims and their families – along with the commitment on renewed cooperation, abound. Gathered in Brussels on the aftermath of the attacks of March 22, EU 28 Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs signed a joint statement aimed at countering all forms of terrorism. It can be said that the document summarizes thousands of comments heard and read over the past days, including an operative “code of conduct”. But the same ministers, once finished the working meeting, openly declared what was already known, namely, that words are not enough. We need facts.
“Weary, scared citizens.” EU Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, responsible for Internal Affairs and Migration, commenting on the recent developments in the light of the terror attacks on the airport of Zaventem and the Maelbeek Underground, delivered the most explicit remarks. “The attacks of course were a shock, but unfortunately they did not come as a surprise. Words and commitments mean very little if they are not acted upon, if they are not delivered.”
Commissioner Avramopoulos started with the acknowledgement that “citizens are tired. They are scared”, that’s why it’s important to take action. “All of us have to take our respective responsibilities.” The Commissioner realistically pointed to the “lack of trust and coordination” among EU States. He gave a blatant example: “The terrorists that attacked Brussels were known by the intelligence. If we had shared the data the attacks – in Brussels and Paris – could have been prevented.”
Perverse connections. Reality is complex, thus the simplistic, improvised solutions advanced by easygoing politicians or by intentionally superficial commentators, serve no purpose. It’s not enough to say that Belgium is like a colander. It means forgetting that similar attacks have been perpetrated in France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and that several European Countries have equally violent pockets of crime at national level, capable of engulfing entire economic sectors along with geographic and social areas. Let is suffice to mention the Mafia in Italy or in the Balkan Countries, Bulgaria, Romania. Indeed, the truth is that:
Terrorist groups and organized crime have no borders, they are often interconnected
and they can count on significant support bases in Third Countries. They financially feed off drugs, arms trade, trafficking and money laundering with the complicity of certain banks and companies. Thus if terrorism “trespasses”, justice and the fight against terrorism must do the same.
European convergence. The answer can only be found in the gradual, in-depth organized convergence of law enforcement authorities, judiciary, intelligence: a European answer coupled by appropriate concession of sovereignty that may enhance what is already in effect (Europol, Eurojust) thereby creating, if necessary, new operational facilities, under shared political direction and with appropriate funding. This should be coupled by close cooperation with extra-EU Countries (notably, the United States) serious about striking against ISIS, thwarting the advance of foreign fighters and of any other terroristic cell that grows and is camouflaged in the cities where we live.
Whence should we start? Something similar was proposed in the “code of conduct” of the European ministers, who solemnly highlighted the need to: “further build upon the combined national efforts to investigate, as a matter of urgency, the networks involved in the Paris and Brussels attacks and other similar networks”; to adopt the PNR directive (plane passengers data sharing, ed.’s note) in April 2016 and implement it as a matter of urgency.” Furthermore, the ministers urged to pursue work on swift completion of legislation on combating terrorism, systematic checks at external borders of the Schengen area, monitoring the flows of firearms, extending the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) to third country nationals, implementing the action plan to fight terrorism financing; improving early detection of signs of radicalization by “countering the rhetoric of Daesh” through “communication strategies.” Insufficient reference was made to “use more regularly Joint Investigation Teams”, since a veritable European intelligence system is needed. In fact, it is a question of greater – not lesser – European integration. The terror attacks in Brussels are but the umpteenth evidence of this.
