By IRNA,
London : The EU is being told by its Future Group of interior and justice ministers that they should share vast amounts of intelligence and information on its citizens with the US to establish a “Euro-Atlantic area of cooperation” to combat terrorism.
The 27 members should pool intelligence on terrorism, develop joint video-surveillance and unmanned drone aircraft, start networks of anti-terrorism centers, and boost the role and powers of an intelligence-coordinating body in Brussels.
The controversial proposal was put forward by the Future Group of Germany, France, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, in a secret report on ‘Euro-Atlantic area of freedom, security and privacy,’ the Guardian newspaper said Thursday.
The 53-page report argues that Europe will need to integrate much of its policing, intelligence-gathering, and policy-making if it is to tackle terrorism, organized crime, and legal and illegal immigration, the daily said.
The group of interior and justice minister was established by Germany last year and charged with drafting a blueprint for security and justice policy over the next five years.
One of the most controversial proposals was a call for Europe to create an expeditionary corps of armed gendarmerie for paramilitary intervention overseas.
“The EU should make up its mind with regard to the political objective of achieving a Euro-Atlantic area of cooperation with the United States in the field of freedom, security and justice,” the report said.
Unless it developed a full partnership with the US, the EU would fail, it warned.
Key points
Other key points in the report was the call for a new EU internet-based propaganda campaign to defeat radicalisation and terrorist recruitment as well as common EU immigration policies.