EU proposal - criminalize terrorism purposes travel

New European Union law aims to criminalize travel for terrorist activities: training, recruiting and funding of foreign fighters

In the wake of the Paris attacks, the draft of the new law proposed on Wednesday by the European Commission intends to criminalize all travel intended for terrorism purposes – training, recruiting and funding terrorism groups or camps included. Innovative “cyber-patrol” and scanning technology to detect foreign fighters, chemical substances, illegal firearms and explosives is also currently tested.

According to the EU's existing law, adherence to a terrorist group is a criminal offense, but traveling to training camps is not. In this situation, EU's officials want to improve legislation to limit future terrorist attacks and the actions of the so-called “foreign fighters” traveling to Syria, Iraq or Libya to join Islamic State and afterwards returning to Europe to engage in terror attacks

The law still needs to be negotiated between EU governments and the European Parliament are still negotiating the EU proposal. If it gets adopted, EU governments have one year to implement the new law into the national legislation.

The European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans declared:

“The horrific attacks in Paris have shown how terrorists operate across borders. It is essential to make sure we have the right tools at EU level to help national authorities disrupt terrorist networks.

“We want to make sure that traveling for terrorist purposes and facilitating such travel, providing or receiving such training are considered criminal offenses throughout the EU.

“Let’s fight this fight together. For terrorists, borders don’t exist.”

Better communication between the EU and the Balkan and North African countries, Turkey and Ukraine is also required.

In response to the refugees crisis, EU ministers are meeting today to discuss new security measures after Paris deadly attacks and to negotiate border checks expanding beyond six months period for countries like Germany.