In situations of military conflict, civil strife, lawlessness, bad governance, and human rights violations, terrorists find it easier to hide, train and prepare their attacks.

In September 2007 MEPs called for the post to be filled having been vacant for six months and for it to be given real powers to carry out the post's tasks. He quit the European Parliament to become state secretary of the interior in the Dutch government Kok II. He stood down from the post in March 2007 citing personal reasons but it is commonly understood that the position's mandate didn't have the necessary operational powers as well as an overall reluctance within member states to supply information regarding anti-terror activities even though the member states fully supported the establishment of the anti-terrorism coordinator after the 2004 Madrid train bombings.

Gijs M. de Vries (born 22 February 1956 in New York) is a Dutch Democrats 66 (D66) politician. As of September 2008 he was the chairman of the European Security Research and Innovation Forum (ESRIF).