Cablegate: Eu Leaders Note Jha Action Plan, List

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 002403

SIPDIS

DHS FOR IAO, BORDER PATROL
DOJ FOR CRM
ROME ALSO FOR INS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PREF PTER CMGT CVIS KCRM LY EUN USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU LEADERS NOTE JHA ACTION PLAN, LIST
PRIORITY ISSUES IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM

REF: USEU BRUSSELS 2166

SUMMARY
-------

1. EU leaders in the June 16-17 European Council
endorsed without discussion the draft conclusions
put forward by the Luxembourg Presidency in the area
of "Freedom, Security and Justice" (or Justice and
Home Affairs, JHA). The conclusions basically note
the adoption by the June 2 JHA Council (REFTEL) of
the five-year Action Plan for implementing the Hague
program of EU actions in the field of Freedom,
Justice and Security, and a report by the JHA
Council on the implementation of the EU Action Plan
to combat terrorism.

THE HAGUE PROGRAM
-----------------

2. The leaders noted the adoption by the June 2-3
EU JHA Council of the five-year Action Plan for
implementing the Hague program of EU actions in the
field of Freedom, Justice and Security. This
blueprint translates the Hague program into specific
EU measures in the fight against terrorism,
migration management, visa policies, asylum, privacy
and security, the fight against organized crime and
criminal justice. The specific proposals for EU
legislation will be tabled by the Commission in the
months and years ahead (further details on
http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/news/i nformat
ion_dossiers/the_hague_priorities/index_en.ht m). In
view of the "growing importance of the external
dimension in the area of freedom, security and
justice," the plan will be supplemented by a
strategy to be proposed by the Commission and
Council SG/HR Solana.

3. The leaders underlined "the prime importance
that Member States should implement the various
measures" under the action plan "effectively and
within the deadlines." Noting that the JHA Council
was reviewing the measures taken by the individual
Member States to transpose and implement the EU
Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant,
the conclusions said, "that method of evaluation
should in general be developed."

4. The conclusions underlined the emphasis in the
Action Plan on operational cooperation between the
various players involved in the EU's internal
security, noting the "more operational character of
recent work" by the EU Chiefs of Police Task Force,
EUROPOL and EUROJUST, and welcoming the start of
activities by the Agency for the Management of
Operational cooperation at the EU's External
Borders.

5. The leaders agreed to stake stock of the
implementation of The Hague program during the
second half of 2006.

FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
-----------------------

6. The European Council also noted a report by the
JHA Council on the implementation of the EU Action
Plan to combat terrorism, stressing the importance
of compliance with the deadlines for the entry into
force of measures considered to be a priority for
the effectiveness of the fight against terrorism.
The Presidency conclusions commend "progress made on
the legislative front in the area of the exchange of
judicial and police information and the fight
against the financing of terrorism." The European
Council also noted "guidelines defined by the
council for drawing up a strategy on radicalization
and terrorist recruitment, including, among other
things, the promotion at national level of dialogue
between religions, the finalization of the peer
review of domestic anti-terrorism arrangements and
the development of the analytical capacity within
the Council Secretariat."

7. The European Council identified the following as
priority issues for the second half of 2005:

QUOTE

-- Legislative proceedings to strengthen police
and judicial cooperation, in particular, and as far
as possible, concerning the exchange of information
between police authorities, the evidence warrant,
the retention of data on telecommunications traffic,
and the exchange of information and cooperation on
terrorist offences;

-- Further efforts to achieve a better sharing of
strategic and operational information between Member
States, and between the latter and the competent
agencies and Services of the Union, in accordance
with the Hague Program;
-- The drafting of the strategy and action plan on
radicalization and terrorist recruitment, in the
light of the guidelines defined by the Council;

-- Follow-up to the recommendations stemming from
the peer review of domestic anti-terrorism
arrangements;

-- Continued implementation of the strategy on the
financing of terrorism, in particular by adopting a
code of conduct to prevent the abuse of charitable
organizations and by strengthening the procedures
concerning the freezing of assets;

-- The strengthening of civil protection
capabilities, particularly the medical resources
available to deal with a bioterrorist attack, and
the development of a rapid reaction capability based
on the civil protection modules of the Member
States;

-- The strengthening of political dialogue on
terrorism with third countries, and of international
cooperation in the tight against terrorism, in
particular the adoption of the United Nations
comprehensive convention on international terrorism;

-- The finalization of program of assistance for
certain priority third countries to strengthen their
anti-terrorist mechanisms, and the implementation,
in that respect, of the network of experts
responsible for responding to requests for technical
assistance from third countries;

-- Customs cooperation measures to improve the
security of the supply chain.

END TEXT

8. The European Council will assess the progress
made and revise the EU Action Plan in the fight
against terrorism at its meeting in December 2005.

MCKINLEY

© Scoop Media