01:40Belgium: EU ministers adopt agreement for airport passenger data exchange
European Union ministers for justice and security and representatives of EU institutions held a joint press conference in Brussels, Thursday, following a session that took place earlier in the day.
The main point of Thursday’s session, in light of Tuesday’s attacks in Brussels, was to adopt an agreement that would allow "full exchange of judicial information" between intelligence and judicial services, according to Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens.
According to Dutch Minister of Interior Ronald Plasterk, a declaration was adopted emphasising "that we will exchange information even swifter than we already do, that we will now very soon need to implement the passenger name records,” adding “We will need to see a swift completion of legislation on combating terrorism.”
The extraordinary session comes after at least 34 people were killed and more than 180 injured in bomb attacks carried out on Brussels international airport and the Maelbeek metro station on Tuesday. The attacks occurred just four days after Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in November's Paris attacks, was captured by Belgian police in Brussels. The so-called Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS, ISIL) has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks.
01:40European Union ministers for justice and security and representatives of EU institutions held a joint press conference in Brussels, Thursday, following a session that took place earlier in the day.
The main point of Thursday’s session, in light of Tuesday’s attacks in Brussels, was to adopt an agreement that would allow "full exchange of judicial information" between intelligence and judicial services, according to Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens.
According to Dutch Minister of Interior Ronald Plasterk, a declaration was adopted emphasising "that we will exchange information even swifter than we already do, that we will now very soon need to implement the passenger name records,” adding “We will need to see a swift completion of legislation on combating terrorism.”
The extraordinary session comes after at least 34 people were killed and more than 180 injured in bomb attacks carried out on Brussels international airport and the Maelbeek metro station on Tuesday. The attacks occurred just four days after Salah Abdeslam, a suspect in November's Paris attacks, was captured by Belgian police in Brussels. The so-called Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS, ISIL) has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks.