Article 3 of the proposed legislation says that each member-state, according to its national law, shall ensure that: "the following offences . . . which are intentionally committed by an individual or a group against one or more countries, their institutions or people with the aim of intimidating them and seriously altering or destroying the political, economic or social structures of those countries will be punishable as terrorist offences".
Article 5 sets out these offences and states that the maximum penalties should be prison terms of not less than the figures in brackets:
(a) murder (20 years); (b) directing a terrorist group (15 years); (c) kidnapping or hostage-taking (10 years); (d) fabrication, possession, acquisition, transport or supply of weapons or explosives (10 years); (e) releasing contaminating substances or causing fires, explosions or floods, endangering people, property, animals or the environment (10 years);
(f) interfering with or disrupting the supply of water, power or other fundamental resources (10 years);
(g) promoting of, supporting or participation in a terrorist group (seven years); (h) unlawful seizure of or damage to state or government facilities, means of public transport, infrastructure facilities, places of public use and property (five years); (i) attacks through interference with an information system (five years); (j) bodily injuries (four years); (k) extortion (two years); (l) theft or robbery (two years); (m) threatening to commit any of the offences listed above (two years).
