Europe Bloc Orders Action on Terrorism

The 12 Common Market nations today ordered new joint measures designed to “harry and disrupt” terrorist groups and vowed that they would make no concessions to terrorists.

Interior and justice ministers of the West European trading bloc met in an emergency session requested by France, where a 10-day wave of terrorist bombings killed nine people and injured more than 160 earlier this month.

Middle Eastern terrorists seeking the release of jailed compatriots in France are believed responsible for the bombings.

British Home Secretary Douglas Hurd said at a news conference after the four-hour meeting that terrorist groups have become better organized and funded and have gained access to advanced equipment and training.

Stress on Improvement

“As terrorists have become better organized, so governments and their counterterror organizations are having to continually improve their knowledge and cooperation if they are to prevent terror attacks and take effective counteraction if they occur,” Hurd said.

“The community today reaffirmed its determination not to make concessions to terrorists,” he said.

He said the ministers decided on two measures:

--To set up new arrangements for regular assessments of the terrorist threat and to “target the major leaders and organizers.”

--To develop “speedy and secure” communications between European police forces.

‘To Target Movements’

“These new measures will help us to target terrorist movements, supplies of money and arms and equipment, so we can harry and disrupt them,” Hurd said.

Hurd said the European Community in coming months will study measures to tighten visa procedures and improve airport security.

He said “abuses of diplomatic immunity” are a problem and that Britain favors scanning diplomatic bags if there is reason to suspect the bags--normally immune to search under diplomatic convention--are used for terrorist purposes.