“Terrorism represents a real challenge for the world and for Europe. The European Council has decided that the struggle against terrorism will increasingly represent a priority objective of the European Union. However, the European Union solemnly rejects any identification between groups of fanatical terrorists and the Arab and Moslem world”. By enunciating these two propositions, the extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the EU expressed its own official position on the attacks in New York and Washington of 11 September. The Summit also gave rise to the Plan of Action that will henceforth characterize EU strategy in the fight against terrorism. The Fifteen launched an open appeal for the establishment of a wide “global coalition” under the aegis of the UNO, comprising the EU, the USA, the candidate countries currently seeking EU membership, Russia, Arab and Moslem partners and any other countries willing to join. The new European policy of the fight against international terrorism will be based on the reinforcement of judicial and police cooperation, through the setting up of joint investigative teams and collaboration between Europol and the American authorities. The Plan of Action also provides for efforts to combat the financing of terrorist groups.
