EU united in fight against radical acts
But the effort, begun at a special meeting yesterday in Brussels that also included Norwegian representatives, came as officials acknowledged there may have been no way to do so - and that potentially undetectable copycat attacks now present a significant risk.
"Clearly, one major risk is that somebody may actually try to mount a similar attack as a copycat attack or as a way of showing support," said Tim Jones, principal adviser to EU counterterrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove. Mr Jones said that how such an attack was planned, and where it took place, would determine "whether it's detectable or not".
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Hide AdHe said whatever approach is decided on would be multilayered. In addition to better communication between countries and the study of trigger points that led a person to become violent, he said the EU had already been working on a system of tracking or licensing precursors, such as fertiliser, that could be used to make explosives. And he said he hoped for a network of experts who would be able to spot troublesome behavioural signs at the local level.
However, Zbigniew Muszynski, the director of Poland's counterterrorism department, said there were no hints that would have allowed Norwegian officials to prevent the massacre.