The European Commission is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and considers the security of European citizens an important priority in this context, EC spokesman Markus Lammert stated.

"Border controls in the European Union have recently been strengthened. We have the Schengen Information System with a shared security database, designed so that all member states can flag all risks," the spokesman said Friday at a briefing in Brussels.

He also noted that an entry/exit system is being implemented as an additional security measure to monitor who has arrived in the European Union and who has left. According to Lammert, over the past five months, these tools have helped identify around 500 people considered a threat in the EU.

The EC spokesman recalled that a special European Commission security meeting was held in Brussels on March 2, where the issue was examined in light of Middle East events. The statement following the discussion said the European Commission "maintains heightened vigilance and close cooperation with Europol and member states regarding potential internal security threats."