AFTER MADRIDa AND BEFORE THE NEXT?

PositionBrief Article

Is the European Union capable of finding new coherence now that terrorist bombs have brutally destroyed any delusions about its immunity from such outrages as Bali, Mombasa or even New York?

The horror of Madrid has shocked the EU into a frantic search for an adequate response. And the sense of urgency surpasses anything invested in debates over the euro, the enlargement, or the new EU Treaty.

So far, the results have been only mixed. The Member States have at least moved closer to appointing a "Mr Terrorism" - although not without some friction with the European Commission. And a week after Madrid, home affairs ministers have proposed a lengthy agenda of measures - with deadlines extending for months into the future.

But, as the crisis has revealed, many Member States are still falling far short of the obligations they undertook in the wake of 9/11 to implement an EU-level framework for fighting terrorism.

Now, even in the face of this unprecedented challenge, disagreements persist within the EU over methodology. And the...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT