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European Union (Amendment) Bill

Before the noble Baroness responds, perhaps I may venture to answer that. I do not know whether the noble Lord is aware that before the 2002 framework decision on terrorist offences, many EU member states did not have a specific offence of terrorism or any penalties. Presumably they dealt with such incidents under laws of murder or grievous bodily harm. It was necessary to have the ability to facilitate cross-border investigations and prosecutions, and therefore coherence and consistency were important so that every member state in the EU had offences of terrorism and incitement to terrorism. The noble Lord expresses amazement that that was the case but I am afraid that, until six years ago, it was.