of terrorism. Berlin unfortunately has not been
spared from the atrocious attacks that hit Europe
last year.”
Terrorism
As far as counter-terrorism efforts are concerned,
Mr. Avramopoulos points to flaws in information
sharing and the cooperation among member
states, and proposes ways of effectively dealing
with this phenomenon:
“We still do not have a single European security
space. We are still not sharing enough when it
comes to information and intelligence. This shar-
ing is the first thing that needs to happen, to face
a threat that is so multi-faceted and constantly
evolving.”
He also stresses that “we will never equate people
fleeing violence and terror at home with terrorists,”
adding that: “We proposed an Entry-Exit system for
all third country nationals, and a European Travel
Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) for
visa-free travellers.
“We are also investing all our energy on intercon-
necting all our information systems on security,
borders and migration. It is the same paradigm
shift the US authorities put in place after 9/11 to
overcome the fragmentation of their own security
framework.”
Greece
As regards the improvement of the humanitarian
aspect of the migrant situation in Greece, Mr.
Avramopoulos says that all migrants should have
safe shelter in appropriate reception centres that
meet EU standards, and makes special mention to
the protection of unaccompanied minors. “There is
a need for more dedicated facilities and qualified
staff for their protection and care,” he says.
Regarding the speeding up of the return process
to Turkey, he says that: “The EU supports and will
continue to support Greece, both operationally
and financially. It is important to adequately use
all EU funding available. In this context, Greece
will also speed up the use of EU funding available
under its national programmes. I welcome the
appointment of coordinators on the islands. I want
to stress that Greece has fulfilled its obligations
on registering and fingerprinting all those who
arrive and has also concluded all necessary pro-
cedures for migrants to be relocated. The situa-
tion in Greece is a European responsibility and
requires a European response.”
Trade with Greece
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