France and Luxembourg signed on Tuesday in Strasbourg a “border alert plan” in order to better coordinate the security forces of the two countries in the event of “high intensity” events, such as a terrorist attack, and to make the border “almost watertight” ".
The text, made up of two protocols, will come into force on January 1 and will allow "more responsiveness and efficiency", said during a press conference Josiane Chevalier, prefect of the Grand Est, French region bordering Luxembourg, from Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.
It follows a similar first plan signed with the Belgian provinces of Namur and Luxembourg and active since November 1.
These texts aim, in the event of a major security event, to better coordinate the police, gendarmerie and customs services on both sides of the borders located along the Grand Est Region and should therefore be supplemented by other plans signed with Germany and Switzerland.
Terrorist attack, a nuclear, radiological, biological or chemical threat
This “border alert plan” results from a “constant simple”, commented Josiane Chevalier: “In our territories, a criminal can quickly cross the borders to take shelter and national means alone do not make it possible to control the situation. 'all axes and traffic flows between our countries'. It is the fruit of a reflection carried out since the attacks which struck France, Belgium and Germany in recent years, explained Josiane Chevalier.
It could be triggered during events "of high intensity (...) in border areas", for example a terrorist attack, a nuclear, radiological, biological or chemical threat, she detailed. It will make it possible to mobilize within “the shortest possible time” an efficient and almost impervious operational system at the borders ”,“ without waiting to know the circumstances ”of the facts or“ the precise qualification of the acts ”, she added.
It fixes in particular "the strategic objectives, the authorities competent to trigger the alert as well as the means of communication", as well as the "operational protocol" ("operational objectives", "alert schemes", "exchange process information ”...), depending on the prefecture.
"The Grand Ducal police fully understand the need for such a strengthening of police cooperation" and will therefore cooperate "effectively with the French forces in the event of the plan being triggered", declared Pascal Peters, central director of the police. Luxembourg administrative.
