The European Commission will increase the protection of EU citizens against terrorist threats. It also applies to road transport as terrorists use trucks in their attacks. That is why the EU officials want to increase the truck safety.
In the last few years we have undertaken a series of actions against terrorists, especially in the past year. However, when we reduced the space in which terrorists can operate, we also
observed an increase in the so-called low-tech terror” – said Julian King, EU security commissioner (pictured).
That is why the Brussels wants to remove the vulnerabilities in security systems which were revealed over the last year due to the terrorist attacks. One of the areas in which terrorists created new hazards is the road transport. Vehicles are not only being attacked by terrorists but also used as a tool of terror in public places.
In Nice we have seen horrendous attacks done with trucks which were later repeated in Berlin, London, Stockholm, Barcelona. Terrorists attack places which attract many people: tourist sites, transportation hubs, squares, sports and concert venues – the commissioner enumerated, adding that together with mayors and representatives of more than 60 cities they decided that protection of such public spaces is necessary.
Therefore, as the EU officials stress out, it is necessary to assess the extent to which the transportation safety rules are effective while ensuring its smooth operation.
Reducing the risk of truck hijacking
In the field of road transport the European Commission is developing a set of tools regarding safety including best practices, which should be ready by the end of 2017. It will focus on the safety of trucks to address the risk of hijacking and theft for them to be used for an act of terror – we read in the press release.
The European Commission will also look at technical solutions used in vehicles, for example collision avoidance systems or emergency brakes.
– We believe that we can take actions which will make the public space less vulnerable to threats, without changing its nature completely as an essentially open space where we gather to live our lives – said King.
EU will allocate 100 million euro from the regional funds for this purpose.
Photo: European Union/EC Audiovisual Service/Jennifer Jacquemart