Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA of 13 June 2002 on combating terrorism as amended by Council Framework Decision 2008/919/JHA of 28 November 2008 (Consolidated version)

This framework decision as amended requires EU countries to align their legislation and introduce minimum penalties regarding terrorist offences. The decisions define terrorist offences, as well as offences related to terrorist groups or to terrorist activities.

The notion of terrorist offence is a combination of:

— objective elements (murder, bodily injuries, hostage taking, extortion, committing attacks, threat to commit any of the above, etc.); and

— subjective elements (acts committed with the objective of seriously intimidating a population, destabilising or destroying structures of a country or international organisation or making a government abstain from performing actions).

In turn, terrorist group is a structured group of two or more persons, established over a period of time and acting in concert to commit terrorist offences.

In December 2015, the Commission tabled a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating terrorism, which would replace Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA.