Strijd tegen terrorisme hoog op agenda Europese Raad (en)

The bomb attacks in Madrid last Thursday (11 March), which left almost 200 people dead, could see the fight against terrorism appear on the agenda of an EU leaders' meeting this month.

This meeting on the 25-26 March in Brussels was supposed to focus on measures to improve the EU's competitiveness and economic growth, but last week's attacks may lead the Irish EU Presidency to update its agenda.

In a letter to all his colleagues, current head of the EU, Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern proposed that work on the review of the EU Action Plan on Terrorism is speeded up, with the aim to adopt the Action Plan at the European Council meeting on 25-26 March.

This Action Plan on Terrorism was adopted at a special summit after the 11 September attacks in 2001.

"Terrorism in all its forms is an affront to our democracies and strikes at the heart of all the values on which the European Union is founded", Mr Ahern said.

"Our collective efforts will continue to be focused on ensuring that our people are protected from this despicable scourge".

Mr Ahern has also called for a three-minute silence in all EU states on Monday, 15 March at midday (CET), in commemoration of the victims of the bombings.

EU intelligence agence

Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt last week also urged the Irish Presidency to put the issue of terrorism on the EU's agenda.

In a letter to Mr Ahern, Mr Verhofstadt called on the EU as a whole to react after the attacks, and in a four-point proposal, he called for the creation of an EU intelligence agency that could track terror suspects by pooling information from Europe's different national secret services.

The proposals also include measures to step up the EU's fight against terrorism.

The idea of an EU intelligence agency was rejected by EU justice and Home affairs ministers last month when it was proposed by Austria, as it would entail the sharing of sensitive intelligence at an EU level.

However, Thursday's attacks in Madrid are likely to lead the EU to reinforce its co-operation to combat terrorism.

Urgent meeting on EU security

Ireland's Justice Minister Michael McDowell has spoken to Germany's interior minister Otto Schily, after Mr Schily proposed that an urgent meeting of EU interior ministers should be organised as soon as possible.

This proposal has already been backed by Italy's interior minister Giuseppe Pisanu.

Minister McDowell also spoke to the Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes, where he said that the "presidency stands ready to take whatever action is required", the Irish Times reported.