Working Party on Restrictive Measures to Combat Terrorism (COMET)

Role

The Working Party on Restrictive Measures to Combat Terrorism (COMET) examines and evaluates the following EU restrictive measures to combat terrorism:

• the terrorist list, targeting persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts
• sanctions against ISIL/Da'esh and Al-Qaeda, and the individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them

The working party regularly reviews the restrictive measures against terrorism and prepares the Council's decisions on the listing or delisting of individuals, groups and entities.

In addition, the Mashreq/Maghreb Working Party (MaMa) consults the COMET working party  in relation to the sanctions against those who support, facilitate or enable violent actions by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Composition and meetings

The COMET working party is composed of national experts from EU member states and meets regularly.

Legal basis

The first working party related to sanctions against terrorism was created in 2007 under the name 'CP 931 Working Party'. 'CP 931' refers to the implementation of the Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism.

In November 2016, following the Council's adoption of new sanctions against ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda, the working party's mandate was broadened. In addition, the working party was renamed Working Party on Restrictive Measures to Combat Terrorism (COMET).