EU warns of 'high risk' of terrorist attacks

Ylva Johansson made statements to the press following the final routine meeting of EU interior ministers this year.

'DREW ATTENTION' WITH REFERENCE TO PAST ATTACKS

Referring to the attacks carried out in Arras, France, on October 13; in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on October 16; and most recently in Paris, the capital of France, on December 3, Johansson emphasized that the last two meetings of EU interior ministers began with messages of condolence, drawing attention to the seriousness of the situation.

Johansson noted that as a reflection of developments in the Middle East, the upcoming holiday season in Europe, due to Christmas and New Year, poses a major risk in terms of terrorist attacks.

30 MILLION EUROS FOR PROTECTION

"The terrorist threat is real. What worries me the most is the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, and polarization," said Johansson, adding that the EU has allocated 30 million euros from its internal security fund for member states to use for the protection of public spaces, particularly places of worship, should they need it.

Johansson emphasized that the authority to issue security warnings to citizens belongs to the member states, noting that many countries have already raised their terror alert levels.