Protection or prevention? Different visions of EU international terrorism policy

In June 2002, the member states of the European Union (EU) adopted the Council Framework Decision on Combating Terrorism, with which they agreed on various measures to enhance their cooperation on counter-terrorism. The framework decision defines terrorism as a security threat, specifies which individual and collective acts count as ‘terrorist offences’, and puts forward policy recommendations as to how such offences can be effectively addressed. It calls on the member states to adopt a common definition of terrorism and improve their legislative practices and policing capabilities in order to better implement the objectives of the EU counter-terrorism action (Council 2002).