Curbing DIY bomb-makers

MEPs have taken steps to limit the scourge of home-made explosives and the use that terrorists and criminals put them to across Europe. They've agreed to tighten and regulate sales of some chemicals and fertilisers, innocent enough in legal public use, but which have dual purpose as key components in DIY bombs. The Norwegian mass murderer, Anders Breivik, used them to bomb government buildings in Oslo before he went on to gun down young people attending a political meeting. 77 people were killed. Jan Mulder, who has steered the legislation through the committee stage, said the process was started before the Breivik attacks, but certainly gained impetus after them. The proposal of the Commission was made before the events in Norway, but it's certainly made people more aware that we have to do something about it in Europe. He said no dedicated terrorist or criminal could be stopped, but restricting access to the tools of their trade would help. There is no legislation that can give a 100% protection to the people. There's always something that someone with evil thoughts can find out. So a 100% protection cannot be guaranteed, but we hope, we think that it will be better with this system than before. The chemical substances at issue are known as explosives precursors. In the right hands they have a wide variety of uses, for household and swimming pool cleaning, for example, or as fertilisers for farmers. But they can contain high chemical concentrations which attract bomb makers. MEPs and Member States have agreed to restrict sale of the most potent concentrations of chemicals, to introduce a licensing system for many others and to harmonise wildly differing rules and requirements across EU Member States.

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