President.

Question No 2 by Sajjad Karim (H-0661/05)

Subject: Harmonisation of the Member States' approach to combating terrorism

The counter-terrorism provisions adopted by certain Member States, under the guise of the fight against terrorism, means that the EU must now face the reality that one of the effects of the terrorist threat is that the hard-won liberties, which underpin the shared values and principles of the Union, are being challenged and undermined. In the light of the bombings in Madrid on 11 March 2004 and in London on 7 July 2005, the EU is now facing a defining moment in its approach to combating this attack on the European way of life.

How does the Council, under the leadership of the UK Presidency, plan to work together to overcome national differences and the bureaucratic hurdles within the 25 EU Member States in order to develop a harmonised approach to combating terrorism which achieves a balance between providing security to EU citizens whilst simultaneously guaranteeing their human rights and civil liberties, regardless of religious beliefs or ethnic origins?