Following exceedingly unpopular moves by China and India, the European Commission has now proposed to tighten controls on cash and precious metals — going so far as to allow confiscations of gold and assets — of anyone even believed to be associated with terrorism or terrorists.
These confiscations and strictures around personal wealth would be part of the European Union’s “action plan against terrorist financing,” proposed following the terrorist attacks on Paris in November 2015 — except the impetus to apply the measures came when a truck plowed through a bustling Christmas market in Berlin on December 19, killing 12 people and injuring scores more.
It appears the Commission surreptitiously proposed tighter controls on cash and precious metals after the market attack but in just before the holidays — possibly to avoid an acrimonious backlash.
Reuters reports:
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.
But travelers to Europe won’t avoid the clamp down, as the report continues:
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 [slightly over $10,450] 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.
(emphasis added)
Officials from the European Union claimed terrorists executed recent attacks with small budgets sometimes financed by ‘criminal organizations’ located elsewhere — thus the perfect justification to restrict cash and precious metals presented itself with the attack in Berlin.
According to Reuters, the European Commission is debating whether to implement an EU-specific “terrorist finance tracking programme” to mirror one already in place between the EU and the United States, which, Reuters notes, “has long been opposed by EU lawmakers and privacy campaigners because it allows widespread checks on consumers’ bank transfers.”
Interesting, the U.S. Department of Treasury — upon implementation of the American terrorist financial tracking plan — wrote what seems, in retrospect, as if it were trying to convince itself of the plan’s merit, stating:
This is exactly the kind of program that Americans want and expect from their government to prevent further terrorist attacks.
But the Commission didn’t stop there.
Also proposed are common rules among the 28 member nations to freeze “terrorists’ financial resources” — and confiscating the financial assets of anyone even thought to be associated with criminals.
But the European Commission’s plans get even darker from there, because — despite the ostensible targeting of terrorists and criminals — its proposals leave innocent citizens at risk of being unjustly accused and losing significant personal wealth.
To wit, anyone who wishes to make a payment of €150.00 [$156.85] or more using a prepaid card will be forced to show identification in order to complete the transaction.
Reuters explains the plans complement previous proposals following the Paris attacks seeking “to tighten controls on virtual currencies such as bitcoin, and prepaid cards, which French authorities said were used to fund the bombings.”
Another proposal proffered in this putative fight against terrorism criminalizes money laundering for the first time — particularly in regard to virtual currency — and the EU will study whether bitcoin should be more strictly regulated.
Note the undertones in these proposals say nothing of first identifying individual criminals or terrorist cells, and proceeding to address only their finances — rather, the proposals cover everyone, all citizens — intimating the true targets are the assets of ordinary Europeans, whether intentionally or as a casualty of the repressive measures.
“There are clear signs that in a very convoluted way, possession of gold for investment purposes will be made illegal,” Zero Hedge warned. “Expect capital controls to follow.”
While any one of this group of proposals would make advocates of personal liberty cringe, every one of the 28 member nations has backed the plan — it now awaits approval from the European Parliament.
Accounts will be frozen within 48 hours of notice being given, Jourova explained, adding, “Loopholes must be closed.”
Overbearing and unusually restrictive, it hasn’t been made clear by any officials whether the proposed measures would be effective at shutting down terrorist networks — or even preventing a single attack.
Yet gold, precious metals, cash, bitcoin, prepaid cards over basically $150, and bank accounts, particularly if you are unusually wealthy, could now be seized by the State at a moment’s notice and without warning — if the government has so much as an inkling you’re up to no good.
Claire Bernish writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared.
“Fighting terrorism”- that’s a good one! An oldie but a goodie. The best way to prevent terrorism is by not arming and funding them in the first place. Better yet, don’t destroy these people’s countries (see Iraq, Libya, Syria) as that often leads people to become terrorists in the first place.
Could their REAL reason be to impoverish everyone a la Agenda 21? We can’t have people having non electronic money. They have this and they are outside of the control of the banks. Given the enormous credit bubble that is soon to pop we don’t want the sheeple to be able to protect their wealth. No. We want them in dire poverty so we can squeeze them mercilessly because they are helpless to fight back. Don’t believe me? Read their own writings!!
Or we could simply expel Islam and all of its Death Cultists
Americans have been allowing illegal and unconscionable Forfeitures for decades. I believe that New Mexico may be one of the only States to make an effort to stop the illegality and abuse of Forfeitures. 90% of Forfeitures end up in the hands of Law Enforcement, and 90% of those monies cannot be accounted for. The point being that whatever the EU or any other country is doing to “confiscate”, it has been done in the US for decades and Americans have just sat on their thumbs deliberately indifferent to the very same outrage.
Americans are such freedom fighters and always boasting about their right to bear arms but in reality they are utter and abject cowards. All talk, no substance. I’m surprised they voted Trump in. As for the EU, it will collapse sooner rather than later and all the unelected commissars will be lynched randomly and at the people’s pleasure when they least expect it. History is always repeating itself, ALWAYS!
Well said. And, that includes all of the so called Pro-Gun, Pro-2nd Amendment groups raising money for themselves. There are plenty of cases they could support that relate directly to the right of self defense and the right of open carry, but they are too greedy and covetous to spend any money actually supporting the few brave souls who have been sacrificed to the anti-gun zealots.
I was always of the understanding that robbers wore masks, but it would appeare that this is no longer required they just change their profession to politicians.
L.OL.
This is ‘The hunt for cash’ or indirect taxation if you wish. The usury fiat money paradigm is in its death throes and the western governments know it, they’re cash strapped. Interest rates at near zero for a decade and even negative for some institutional investors. Fear of increasing these as the debt repayment on government borrowing would become un- serviceable. Meanwhile, pension funds etc are in danger of becoming insolvent due to lack of return. No-one knows when the crash and burn will happen, but we’re nearer the end game than the start and when it does start, it will contagion geometrically.
That no one may buy or sell, save he that had the Mark.
Those in authority to do so then would do better to seize the assets of the national governments financing, arming, training and otherwise abetting terrorism. As in the pseudo war n drugs the biggest culprits are the entities yelling the loudest, bankers and the states they operate. This is just the creeping incrementalism of globalism and a return to feudalism under modern technologies. “A Brave New World with Orwellian controls.
Excuse do you really believe they are concerned about terror. Bitcoin and other pre paid means, could be used to by pass the banks, when they crash the currency and make it worthless, forcing you to be in planted with the micro chip, so that is why they are attacking this see right through their little game and are many steps ahead of them. The only way to stop terror is first get out of their country, stop providing them with weapons. Look at the shameful mess that has been created in Iraq, Libya, The planet is run by mad men totally insane and evil. They want total power and the way to get it is for us to hand over our freedom this is what they have been doing for long time, taking bit by bit and laws which are created by the dumb drones in the legal profession further designed to enslave us, yet these drones do not have the ability to question the laws being created because the law is not about justice it is about protecting the evil that rules this world The ruling elite will never get their one world government for a time you might enslave the people in America and England and Australia the three countries of the Orwellian dictatorship, but you will never enslave the whole world Agenda 21 spoke about their plane as well as the bible and many other writings. This world could be a wonderful place where every nation every colour every religion got along fine, no wars, no starving, no misery together we can make it so by refusing to be a part of this evil system, it will come down as it must and the group of evil people will be removed to a prison in the universe between lower dimensions, there they will be locked away for thousands of years.
Next is your property and belongings.
At what point exactly do we rise up? Or do we, even?
When we have nothing else to lose, until then just Apathetic as usual………..
there will be some country s who will not make as new order expects. MOVING?