Efforts to tighten anti-terrorism laws across Europe were being stepped up at talks in Brussels today.
Ministers will consider measures aimed at blocking loopholes in current anti-terrorism co-operation between states.
The package was already under consideration before the terrorist attacks in the US but has been given new momentum since September 11th, with EU governments under pressure to agree unprecedented legal moves by early December.
They will discuss proposals for an EU-wide arrest warrant to replace current cumbersome extradition steps and ensure swift EU exchanges of suspects wanted for terrorism and other major crimes.
A new definition of terrorism may also be on the way, coupled with an agreed scale of minimum penalties for terrorist offences in the EU.
The definition will identify as terrorists those deemed to be intimidating a population or a government and those who risk destroying the political or economic stability of a country, or who damage property.
But the definition will be framed carefully to avoid bracketing anti-globalisation protesters or trade unions as "terrorists".
Most EU member states have no specific legislation on terrorism at all. Others have no definition of terrorism in domestic law, and there are widely differing national search and investigation provisions for dealing with suspected terrorism.
PA