Parliamentary Committee for Combating Terrorism approves of first package of new measures

Nightly searches of suspected terrorists’ locations, phone tapping of suspected illicit arms trafficking, and the establishment of a joint database for our police, information and security services: these three measures have already been approved by the temporary Parliamentary Committee for Combating Terrorism chaired by the N-VA. The bill enabling all of this was submitted by Minister of Security and the Interior Jan Jambon. The legislation was approved remarkably quickly - not just in relation to the Easter break timing - but primarily in light of its unanimous approval across majority lines and opposition.

After the attacks of 13 November in Paris, the federal government announced eighteen new anti-terror measures, in addition to the twelve measures that were already taken after the anti-terror initiative in Verviers. Some of the interventions didn’t require amendments to the law, some did. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee that was established for this specific reason, poured over the first bill that was ready and immediately voted on it.

Weighing up priorities

“In the event of terrorism and banditry, searches will, from this time forward, also be permitted during the night. Until now, that was only possible between five in the morning and nine o’clock at night,” Minister Jan Jambon explains. This measure was met with exceptionally little resistance in the authorised Parliamentary Committee, also from the opposition. The same applies to the use of special investigation methods in cases involving illicit arms trafficking. The third part of the bill - enabling the creation of new, joint databases on ‘foreign terrorist fighters’ and organisations such as Sharia4Belgium - met with more resistance. In that context, Minister Jan Jambon comments: “If we wish to guarantee our security, we will have to weigh up the priorities. But with a view to the actual situation in which we find ourselves today, this bill is certainly feasible,” he concludes.