PURPOSE: to approve, on behalf of the Union, the conclusion of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism (CETS No. 196).
PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.
ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.
BACKGROUND: the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism (CETS No. 196) was signed by the Union on 22 October 2015, subject to its conclusion.
Article 23 of the Convention provides that the latter is open for the approval of the European Union.
Directive (EU) 2017/541 of the European Parliament and of the Council established common Union rules on combatting terrorism. Consequently, the Union has already adopted measures in different areas covered by the Convention.
The Convention should therefore be approved on behalf of the Union as regards matters falling within the competence of the Union in so far as the Convention may affect those common rules or alter their scope.
The Member States retain their competence in so far as the Convention does not affect common rules or alter the scope thereof.
CONTENT: with this proposed Decision, the Council is called on to approve, on behalf of the European Union, the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, as regards matters falling within the competence of the Union.
The text of the Convention is attached to this Decision.
Territorial application: Convention No. 196 shall be binding and apply in all EU Member States with the exception of Denmark. It shall be binding and apply in the United Kingdom only insofar as this Member State notifies the Council of its wish to take part in the adoption and application of this instrument. Ireland shall be bound by Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA and is therefore to take part in the adoption of this Decision.