The IRA is likely to be added to a list of terrorist organisations whose assets will be frozen, according to European Commission sources. The European Parliament yesterday overwhelmingly approved a proposal that would freeze the assets of 27 Arab and Islamic fundamentalist groups and backed amendments that would add EU-based organisations to the list.
Under EU rules, the Parliament cannot block or change the proposal and the Commission indicated yesterday that it would not make any amendments before EU foreign ministers consider the measures next Tuesday. But a Commission source said that the legislation was designed so that organisations could be added to the list in the future.
When asked if the IRA was likely to be added to the list, the official replied: "That would be the logic of the proposal."
The German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schr÷der, confirmed yesterday that the EU was planning to expand the number of terrorist organisations to be targeted. Speaking in Quedlinburg after a meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jose Maria Aznar, Mr Schr÷der said he expected the Basque separatist organisation ETA to be among the groups whose assets would be frozen.
"ETA is a terrorist organisation. There is no doubt of that. If you look at what's happened in Spain and how many people have died, you can't call it anything else.
"We have to implement the UN Security Council decision which deals with this issue and the European Union guidelines on money- laundering.
"Within this context the European Commission will present a list of these kind of organisations and I have no doubt that ETA will be on this list," he said.
The assets freeze is part of a package of anti-terrorist measures proposed by the Commission following last month's attacks in New York and Washington. Other measures include the creation of a European arrest warrant, obliging police in all 15 EU states to pursue suspected terrorists wanted in any member-state and a common definition of terrorist crimes.
Some civil liberties campaigners are concerned that the proposed definition of terrorist offences is too broad and that the measures could be used against legitimate political protesters.
The United States' 18 NATO allies agreed yesterday to implement eight measures to help Washington in its campaign against terrorism.
These include enhanced intelligence-sharing, improved security for US installations overseas, overflight rights and access to airfields and ports for US forces.
The alliance also agreed that it would deploy elements of its standing naval forces to the eastern Mediterranean "to provide a NATO presence and demonstrate resolve".
