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By Francesco Guarascio Reuters Wednesday, December 21, 2016
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Commission proposed on Wednesday tightening controls on cash and precious metals transfers from outside the European Union in a bid to shut down one route for funding of militant attacks on the continent.
The move follows Monday's attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, where 12 people were killed as a truck ploughed into a crowd. It is part of an EU "action plan against terrorist financing" unveiled after the bombings and shootings in Paris in November 2015.
Under the new proposals, customs officials in European Union states can step up checks on cash and prepaid payment cards sent by post or in freight shipments.
Authorities will also be able to seize cash or precious metals carried by suspect individuals entering the EU.
People carrying more than 10,000 euros in cash already have to declare this at customs when entering the EU. The new rules would allow authorities to seize money below that threshold "where there are suspicions of criminal activity," the EU executive commission said in a note.
EU officials said some of the recent attacks in Europe were carried out with limited funds, sometimes sent from outside the EU by criminal networks.
... For the remainder of the report:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-security-...g-idUKKBN14A17P
