Nieuwe afspraken voor terrorismebestrijding tijdens grote sportevenementen (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European authorities in charge of security at the 2004 Olympic Games and other international sporting events will be equipped with a security handbook which will provide guidelines for practical co-operation to prevent terrorist attacks.

The handbook, adopted today by EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministers, will address only issues related to the fight against terrorism and will serve as a reference point in other sporting events.

Several EU states will see such events in the not too distant future - the Football World Cup, the Mediterranean Games, the Rugby World Cup and the World Athletics Championship among others.

Major sporting events face particular terrorist threats, and in the past terrorists have used the Olympic Games as a platform for their activities.

"The Olympic Games are an enormously significant event in the world sporting calendar. The very significance of the event means that the possibility of terrorists seeking to exploit it for their own purposes cannot be excluded", Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell said.

Although the Member State hosting the event is the primary responsible for providing security, all other EU states have a responsibility to assist.

The handbook provides for the exchange of information between EU states relating to persons involved in terrorist organisations, terrorist action or other major criminal activities.

The EU country organising the international sporting event may also request the deployment of police or intelligence officers for operational support from another Member State for the fight against specific terrorist scenarios.

It also gives EU states the possibility to prevent individuals or groups considered to pose a terrorist threat from travelling to the location of the event and to intensify police efforts in the border regions in co-ordination with its neighbouring countries.