01 November 2016
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The EU is coming to the final stages of approving a new Directive on countering terrorism, which expands the scale and scope of the previous Directive (passed in 2002 and amended in 2008). Following the sixth secret "trilogue" meeting between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on 10 November, the Council produced a "consolidated text" of the Directive and aims to conclude negotiations "at the trilogue on 17 November 2016," before presentation to the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER, EU Member States' officials) on 30 November. Following final agreement on the text, it will also have to be approved by a plenary session of the Parliament.
See: NOTE from: Presidency to: Delegations: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating terrorism and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on combating terrorism - Consolidated text(14238/16, 11 November 2016, pdf)
Sharp criticism from civil society organisations and legal experts about both the content of the new Directive and the lightning speed with which it has been negotiated appears to have had little effect. Officials from the Greens and European United Left groups wtihin the parliament have also been highly critical of the hasty manner in which the rapporteur (Monika Hohlmeier MEP of the European People's Party) pushed the text through the committee stage.
Background: Directive on combating terrorism (SEMDOC, link)
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