EU backs tighter borders and online terror rules

BRUSSELS: European Union ministers agreed on Friday to reinforce security at the bloc’s external borders and to impose tougher controls on violent extremism online.

The governments met after the latest Islamist extremist attacks in France, Germany and Austria to review plans for a more coordinated EU anti-terrorism policy. "We reaffirm our determination to do everything in our power to counter this barbaric terror," the EU interior ministers said, five years to the day after attacks in Paris left 130 dead.

The ministers said they hope to finalise negotiations with the EU Commission and Parliament on a new law to control online content before the end of the year. "The aim is to enable issuing removal orders with cross-border effect to create a new and rapid and effective instrument to counter terrorist content online within an hour or less of its being reported," a statement said. The talks came three days after France’s President Emmanuel Macron hosted a mini-summit to call for a rapid response to the latest attacks.