 In Spain, the armed Basque separatist group ETA has called off its 15-month-old cease-fire in a statement.
Experts say the move could mean a quick resumption of violence, and authorities say they are on high alert.
In a statement sent to two Basque newspapers, it blames the government - and particularly Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, for the failed peace process.
In a short televised speech, Zapatero says the truce has already ended with the December 30 bombing of a Madrid airport parking garage that killed two people.
"ETA's decision goes totally in the opposite direction of the path that Basque and Spanish society want - the path of peace."
He calls on ETA to lay down its arms and expresses confidence that "sooner or later, Spanish society will achieve peace."
Meanwhile, EU Commission spokesperson Pia Ahrenkilde says President Jose Manuel Barroso has condemned ETA's decision to call off its 15-month-old ceasefire.
"President Barroso believes that one can only regret and condemn ETA's position in this situation. He believes that violence will not help anybody and that it must be met with the full force of law."
ETA hopes to carve out an independent homeland in northern Spain and southwest France.
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