EU lawmakers call for 'blacklist' of European jihadists

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - The European Parliament urged EU governments to share more data with each other on citizens they suspect of being Islamist radicals, calling for a "blacklist of jihadists" in a resolution passed on Wednesday. It was one of dozens of proposals contained in a non-binding appeal to the Council of EU leaders based on a report into how to prevent the radicalization of young Europeans that lawmakers ordered after January's attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo. Debate on the resolution drafted by French former justice minister Rachida Dati was dominated by reflections on the new attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 by Islamic State militants mostly from France and Belgium. It was passed by 548 votes to 110. "The enemy is no longer on the outside but on the inside," Dati told the chamber in Strasbourg. "And we share responsibility for the creation of these monsters." Though the resolution carries no legal weight, and national governments are wary of encroachments by the European Union into their prerogatives to handle national security, many proposals mirror recent calls from EU ministers for better cooperation among police forces and on external border controls. Among suggestions for getting tough on suspects, at a time when the killing of 130 people in Paris has helped to mute concerns for civic rights, were a common definition of "foreign fighters" so that they can be prosecuted on their return from Syria, and preventive custody for such suspects before trial. Some of those involved in the Paris attacks had fought in Syria but had been free to elude police checks on their return. The resolution reiterated parliament's intention to end its resistance to more sharing of airline passenger data, known as PNR; governments have been critical of the EU legislature, where the PNR legislation has been held up over concerns for privacy. People suspected of planning to go to Syria to fight could have their passports confiscated and assets frozen, lawmakers suggested, and there should be hotlines where people could report suspicions that friend or family might be radicalized. Other proposals included combating the social exclusion of minority communities and segregating militants in prison so that they do not spread their ideology to other inmates. (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald in Brussels; Editing by Mark Heinrich)