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Jourová: ‘We must not let the attackers disrupt our lives’

Category: EU News

Published: 16 November 2015

Written by News Desk

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EU Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová. File photo

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EU Justice Commissioner talks about Paris attacks and the need to preserve freedoms

EU Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová spoke in part about the EU response to the Nov. 13 Paris attacks during a speech she gave at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington, D.C.

She called on the EU to fight discrimination and also said that prisons must be prevented from becoming a breeding ground for radicalization.

Jourová became a European Commission on Nov. 1, 2014, after previously serving as Czech minister for regional development.

“These brutal attacks – killing from what we know now 129 people – were an attack against our freedoms, our way of life, and our values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” she said.

“It is precisely these values that we will defend. We shall not be guided by fear and we must not let the attackers disrupt our lives. Instead we shall be resolute in our response to terrorism and hatred,” she added.

Jourová recalled that France had faced a previous terror attack in January.

“At the beginning of this year, Paris was already stunned by the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a kosher supermarket,” she said.

“The European Union responded by setting out a new European Agenda on Security to strengthen cooperation between the police and criminal justice authorities of European countries, and by reaffirming our values.

“Last Friday’s events sadly remind us how relevant and urgent the implementation of this agenda is,” she added, referring to the recent terrorist attacks in Paris.

She said that as justice commissioner, she has concentrated on two main issues.

“One is to actively promote tolerance and respect, and to fight discrimination in our societies. In October, we held a high-level event dedicated to fighting both anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred. We agreed on a number of concrete actions to promote tolerance and respect, especially in the area of education,” she said.

“Another key concern is radicalization of young people in some of our prisons, which must not become a ‘breeding ground’ for terrorism. The European Union’s member states have varying levels of experience with this issue. Yet, they face a common challenge, with too many young Europeans joining the so-called Islamic State and traveling to Syria as ‘foreign fighters.’ That is why, last month, we gathered Justice Ministers and experts from around Europe to exchange the latest expertise in the area of preventing radicalization, and de-radicalization in the criminal justice system,” she said.

“Another key element of our European Agenda on Security is enhancing criminal justice cooperation both within the EU and also with key allies: first and foremost the United States. This includes measures to confiscate assets or to effectively exchange relevant information, for example criminal records,” she said.

“Just a few hours before the attacks in Paris, my colleague Commissioner [Dimitris] Avramopoulos and I were meeting the [US] Attorney General and the Homeland Security Secretary for our regular dialogue on justice and home affairs matters. We reaffirmed the importance of our law enforcement cooperation, which serves to protect our citizens’ security, as well as their freedoms,” she said.

The trans-Atlantic flow of data does not have to infringe on people’s freedom, she maintains.

“In fact, I see this field as a ‘triangle’ … the fundamental right to privacy and protection of personal data, our citizens’ need for security, and our economic opportunities and business growth,” she said.

“All these need to go hand in hand. We cannot have a trade-off between one and the other,” she added.

The bulk of her speech related to reaching an agreement between the US and EU on sharing commercial and personal data.

“The EU and the US are … key partners to stand united to face challenges such as the fight against terrorism. Data flows between our continents are essential for people and businesses, as well as for our law enforcement cooperation,” she said.

“Regarding commercial data exchanges, we need a new framework for both our citizens, whose data must be protected when it travels abroad, and for our businesses. This requires action on both sides,” she added.

Time on the existing agreement is running out. “But I’m confident that we will meet the deadline of January 2016 for a new agreement on international commercial data transfers,” she said.