Foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced the European Union will challenge a controversial court decision that ordered the removal of terrorist group Hamas from the terrorism bloc list. “Foreign ministers from the 28 European Union member states decided to appeal the decision at a meeting in Brussels focused on the Islamist threat after the Paris attacks this month, she said.”
Hamas will remain on the list pending the appeal. Hamas was first blacklisted in 2001.
Mogherini said EU ministers have “now decided to challenge some of the findings of the court regarding the procedural grounds to list terrorist organisations”.
“This ruling was clearly based on procedural grounds and did not imply any assessment by the court of the merits of designating the Hamas as a terrorist organisation.”
Last month, before the Paris terror attacks, the General Court of the European Union claimed that Hamas’ blacklist status was not based on sound legal judgement but on conclusions drawn from the media and the internet.
“The fight against terrorism remains a priority for the European Union,” Mogherini said, adding the the “EU is determined to stem the financing of terrorism”.
Brussels has until February 17 to file an appeal; that process will take around sixteen months.
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