Brown to push EU to seize terror assets[fr][de] 

The UK's Finance Minister Gordon Brown is to make a speech before the European Parliament on 12 July in his first appearance in Brussels as President of the Economic and Financial Affairs (EcoFin) Council.

According to reports from the BBC, Brown is to urge for EU support in adopting emergency measures to seize the assets of terrorists and organisations who finance them. 

Proposals were already in the pipeline following the Madrid train bombings of 11 March 2004. They include measures to confiscate or freeze property from crime as well as strengthening controls of cash transfers across the EU's external borders (see related LinksDossier).

The UK has called a special meeting of EU interior ministers to take place on 13 July in the wake of the London bombing attacks. The meeting will try to speed up the adoption of EU anti-terror measures including a controversial proposal to retain telephone and e-mail data for intelligence purposes (EurActiv, 11 July 2005).