Roundup: MEPs call for efforts to improve security situation in Europe

Some members of the European Parliament here on Tuesday called on the European Union (EU) to make more efforts to improve security situation, after deadly blasts in Brussels killed at least 34 people.

"A new European strategy must be developed to embrace every aspect: security, integration, culture and cooperation for development. The very existence of our societies, our values and principles are at stake, as well as the future of our next generation -- the future of Europe itself," said Gianni Pittella, president of the Socialists and Democrats(S&D) Group in the European Parliament.

He said that Europe must finally forge an integrated strategy to combat terrorism, fundamentalism and social and economic injustices, which are the roots of hatred and violence, adding that terrorism is only one of the many consequences of the increased instability of the neighbouring regions.

"We should question ourselves in asking why young Europeans devote themselves to fundamentalism and terrorism. We definitely should improve our model of cultural integration," said Pittella.

"Europe must resist and react, today it is the moment to take some important decisions that we can't postpone anymore," said Giovanni La Via, chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) of the European Parliament.

"This morning I was in the ENVI committee voting and while doing that I had in my mind the inutility because even if I was voting an important dossier for Italy, in front of these shocking news I reflected about the meaning of being here pushing a button. The priority is to defeat these terrorists," Elisabetta Gardini, Head of Delegation Forza Italia in the Parliament told Xinhua.

"We need a register for European passengers because these terrorists are moving freely in Europe. The right wing in the European Parliament is more interested to maintain human rights and privacy for the terrorists rather than protect the citizens," said Gardini.

Gardini noted that security specialists and member states are calling for EU-wide rules on Passenger Name Record (PNR), a measure which would require more systematic collection, use and retention of data on international airline passengers. However, some MEPs are concerned about such a system jeopardising rights to privacy and data protection.

A provisional deal on an EU directive regulating the use of PNR data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime was endorsed by the European Parliament Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee on Dec. 10, 2015. The draft directive will be put to a vote by Parliament as a whole in early 2016.

"We have then to give the instruments to our intelligence services to operate, we asked to put the PNR issue in the calendar of the March plenary, and tried already many years to vote for it while the right wing, because of privacy reasons, they always stopped it," said Gardini.

Plans to first implement rules on the use of PNR at an EU level were rejected in 2013 as MEPs had concerns about the necessity and scope of the proposal and its compliance with fundamental rights.

Moreover, Gardini said people should better control the external borders of the EU, "especially in Italy where the government is not acting effectively."

"We have to change also the approach of our intelligence services that by now demonstrated not to be able to protect citizens, even worse the level of aggression is getting bigger. We should then do more to eradicate also the micro-criminality which is also humus where these terrorist can get protection," said Gardini.

Concerning some member states tightening internal borders control, against the backdrop of the ongoing refugee crisis, La Via said that Schengen codes are the essence of Europe and people have to protect it more than ever.

"Close Schengen is for sure a negative choice; we have to look ahead and try to find the way to protect us but also guarding the EU borders without creating internal divisions," said La Via.

The European People's Party (EPP) Group, the largest political group in the European Parliament with 215 members from 27 member states, said in a press release on Tuesday that "Brussels is under attack, our democracy and our way of living in Europe is once more under attack."

"We'll do everything to protect the core values of our society with all our means. Europe will stand united against terror," said the EPP group.

The European Parliament has raised its alert level in Brussels to orange and heightened security in close cooperation with the Belgian authorities, following the terror attacks on Tuesday. All missions, meetings and visits scheduled for Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday at the Parliament have been cancelled.

Explosions at the Brussels airport and a metro station shook the Belgian capital city of Brussels, which hosts most EU institutions and meetings. At least 34 people were killed in the attacks.

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for these attacks, an online news agency affiliated with the jihadists said. Endit