B4-1121, 1141, 1148, 1153, 1160 and 1176/95

Resolution on terrorism in France

The European Parliament,

A.outraged at the spate of terrorist attacks in public places in France which have killed seven people and wounded dozens of others since 25 July 1995 and have created a climate of anxiety among the general public,

B.recognizing the special responsibility of Member States to combat terrorism in the EU, but insisting that they must also cooperate with other democratic states in this struggle,

C.whereas each of these bombs was intended to kill a maximum number of innocent victims, including schoolchildren,

D.whereas it is dangerous to cultivate in public opinion the idea of a link between the abolition of internal borders and risks to internal security,

1.Expresses its deepest sympathy for the families of the victims of these horrifying terrorist attacks on French territory;

2.Deplores also the attacks carried out in Israel in Tel Aviv on 24 July and in Jerusalem on 21 August 1995;

3.Condemns the mindless violence of these criminal acts and denounces the cynical racism aimed at schoolchildren in Villeurbanne;

4.Applauds the level-headedness of the French people, who are refusing to give in to the temptation of generalized prejudice and xenophobia;

5.Urges the signatories to the Schengen Agreement to be especially vigilant at the Union's external borders and to use all the resources available under the Treaty to step up security on their territory; calls on the Member States to step up cooperation between the security services, police forces and judiciary, both among themselves and with their counterparts in other democratic states exposed to similar threats;

6.Urges the Member States to apply the international conventions to combat terrorism and to ensure that alleged terrorists are extradited or brought to justice in those countries in which they are arrested;

7.Calls on the French Government to make every effort to identify and dismantle terrorist networks so that they are no longer in a position to do harm;

8.Calls on the governments of the Member States and the authorities of the European Union to take effective steps against countries which support and finance terrorism;

9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the governments of the Member States.