The EU Has Opened a Register of Terrorism Cases

All EU countries can use it and are called to report suspected data.

The EU Legal Cooperation Office has announced that it is opening a register on counter-terrorism. The aim is to strengthen the response of EU law enforcement authorities to terrorist threats and to improve citizens' security, the Communication said.

The register includes legal information to establish links in legal proceedings against suspected terrorist offenses. The data are managed by the EU Legal Cooperation Office in Hague 24/7 and serve the support of national judicial authorities. Prosecutors are expected to coordinate more closely and identify suspects investigated in cases with possible cross-border implications, BTA reports.

Following the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, cross-border links between suspects were immediately reported. France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have decided to set up the register to collect data on terrorist activities and networks and identify coherence needs.

The register was created by a decision of the EU Council. The international and multilateral dimensions of the fight against terrorism and the importance of data sharing were outlined by the increasing number of legal proceedings - 580 last year.

All EU countries can use the register and are called upon to provide information on suspects. Common requirements for this data have been developed to comply with all existing data protection rules.