The EU's new Directive on Combating Terrorism has been given the green light for approval after the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee accepted the legal basis for the law. The directive, which was negotiated in secret, contains a number of highly controversial provisions that have been condemned by civil society groups and legal experts. Many have specifically objected to the broad scope of the directive, which criminalizes new offenses like "travel for terrorist purposes." The directive will be voted on during a plenary session of the European Parliament on February 16.