Europol Dir Rob Wainwright is “concerned about the threat of terrorist attacks looming over Euro 2016,” according to LE FIGARO. Euro 2016 starts June 10, and security “remains one of the key issues for authorities.” The November ’15 Paris attacks and March’s Brussels attacks are “still fresh in everyone’s mind.” Wainwright said that the tournament is “an attractive target for terrorists.” He said, “I am very concerned about the coming European football championship. It is shocking to see how easy it is to attack poorly protected targets such as cafes, restaurants or concerts.” Close to 2.5 million spectators “are expected in France for Euro 2016, between June 10 and July 10.” Fan-zones are “a major concern of authorities.” At the end of April, the fan zone security budget, which was initially €10M-€12M ($11.3M-$13.6M), was raised to €24M ($27M) (LE FIGARO, 5/15). REUTERS reported Wainwright said, “We need police units that can respond to attack scenarios and hostage situations like those seen in the Bataclan concert hall in Paris” (REUTERS, 5/14).
