EU's Frattini: Threat of terror attacks in EU remains high

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The European Union's top justice official said Wednesday the threat of a terror attack remained high in the 27-nation bloc. EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini said the EU executive would push ahead with plans to set up an EU-wide airline passenger data recording system modeled on a system developed by the United States, despite privacy concerns voiced by some EU parliamentarians. "It's a useful tool to protect our citizens, who deserve the same protection as US citizens," Frattini told the European Parliament. Other measures in the works include a plan to set up an EU-wide explosive database to provide an early warning system on lost or stolen explosives that could end up in the hands of terror groups, and new provisions to deal with the misuse of the Internet by terrorists, Frattini said.