The new EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Mr Ilkka Salmi has visited Eurojust today for the first time since taking up his duties last month, to discuss ongoing and future cooperation. Mr Salmi was received by Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran and Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Working Group at the Agency and National Member for Belgium Ms Hilde Vandevoorde. In the afternoon, he participated in the annual meeting of National Correspondents for Eurojust for Terrorism Matters from Member States and experts from third countries.
Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran said: ‘Terrorist attacks not only need to be prevented and stopped. Terrorists and their facilitators also need to effectively face justice to better secure our societies. I am therefore very pleased to host Mr Salmi, the new EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, at Eurojust to discuss and further step up international judicial cooperation in the fight against terrorism.’
EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Mr Illkka Salmi stated: ‘Eurojust plays a crucial role in counter-terrorism with regard to our goal to bring terrorists to justice. It facilitates important cross-border cooperation in cases of terrorism and international crimes, in particular after major terrorist attacks in the EU. I have great appreciation for the unique judicial collaboration Eurojust enables in counter-terrorism and fully support President Ladislav Hamran’s and the Genocide Network Secretariat’s work on the sharing of information and best practices among our judicial practitioners in the European Union.’
Mr Salmi was appointed in July of this year as the successor of EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Mr Gilles de Kerchove and took up his duties in October. He will serve a five-year term and cooperate closely with judicial and law enforcement authorities to combat terrorist threats in the EU.
The new coordinator was extensively briefed about the Judicial Counter-Terrorism Register (CTR), which was set up by Eurojust in September 2019, and the general work of the Agency to combat terrorism. He was also given a presentation by the Genocide Network Secretariat at Eurojust on its work concerning cumulative charges for terrorism with indictments against war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. As well, he was informed about the collection of battlefield evidence.
The meeting in the afternoon with the National Correspondents and specialised authorities of third countries which have Liaison Prosecutors at Eurojust focused on combatting the dissemination of terrorist threats online. The second day of the annual meeting will address outstanding and actual topics regarding combating terrorism and terrorist threats.
Eurojust is an agency of the European Union