EU action on behalf of victims of terrorist attacks and victims' families

12.2.2009

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1106/09
by Genowefa Grabowska (PSE) and Dariusz Rosati (PSE)
to the Commission

In September 2008 Piotr Stańczak, a 52-year-old Polish geologist working in Pakistan, was kidnapped by Taliban terrorists. The kidnappers said that he would be killed if their financial and political demands were not met. In February 2009 Mr Stańczak was beheaded and a video of his execution was sent to European television stations. The terrorists have now said that they will not surrender Mr Stańczak's body unless their demands are met. Ineffectual negotiations, the perceived lack of European solidarity and simply ‘being in the wrong place at the wrong time’ all played their part in Mr Stańczak becoming yet another victim of the war against terrorism. Unfortunately, it does not look like he will be the last.

No EU Member State can fight terrorism on its own. The Union's adoption of a common anti-terrorism strategy is therefore to be welcomed. Under the framework programme on ‘Security and Safeguarding Liberties’ for the period 2007‑13 (COM(2005)0124), the specific programmes ‘Prevention, Preparedness and Consequence Management of Terrorism’ and ‘Prevention of and Fight against Crime’ and the pilot projects ‘Victims of Terrorist Acts’ and ‘Fight against Terrorism’, the EU is seeking to play an active role in the fight against terrorism and to provide assistance to victims.

The kidnapping and tragic death of Mr Stańczak show the measures taken to date by the EU with a view to ensuring the safety of EU citizens and assisting the victims of terrorist attacks to be inadequate.

Given the above and in accordance with the principle of EU solidarity, will the Commission consider drawing up a legal framework enabling joint external action to be taken under the common foreign and security policy in support of EU citizens affected by terrorist attacks?

Does the Commission intend to introduce an appropriate mechanism for joint action for the release of EU citizens kidnapped by terrorists?

Does it consider that, of themselves, the above programmes and measures are sufficient to ensure that EU citizens are properly protected against the effects of terrorist attacks and the victims of such attacks and victims' families are given appropriate assistance?

Has it reviewed and assessed the effectiveness of the measures to assist victims of terrorism and their families and has it assessed the extent to which those measures are being implemented by Member States?

Does it intend to look into the possibility of setting up a specific Community fund to assist EU victims of terrorism and their families, in view of the escalation in the number of terrorist attacks around the world?

Would it not agree that it should recommend that a Community support mechanism be set up for the families of victims of terrorist attacks, both to provide them with financial and psychological assistance and to facilitate, among other things, contacts with civil society organisations working on behalf of victims of terrorism and their families?

OJ C 189, 13/07/2010