Strategy to avert street violence to be worked out

Member-states have agreed to work out a joint strategy to prevent the violent protests that surrounded the summit at Gothenburg from becoming a regular feature at EU meetings. Interior ministers from Sweden, France and Belgium, which assumes the EU presidency next month, will consult police experts to establish how they should proceed.

"This can change the nature of these meetings. It's time for us to take joint action. These people are not democrats. They are criminals who want to destroy," the Swedish prime minister, Mr Goran Persson, said.

Sweden's handling of the riots has attracted criticism around Europe, with many critics complaining the authorities were ill prepared for the violence. Sweden's police chief, Mr Sten Heckscher, defended the operation and pointed out that a protest march through Gothenburg by 20,000 people on Saturday passed off without incident.

A 19-year-old protester was still critically ill in hospital after he was shot by police, who claim they were acting in self defence.

A quarter of Sweden's police force, 4,000 officers, were deployed in Gothenburg at the weekend but were unable to control the rioting. Swedish police are not allowed to use CS gas or water cannon and the government is forbidden from interfering in police operations.

Some EU delegations criticised Sweden's "de-escalation strategy" aimed at preventing violence by engaging in dialogue with protesters.

The authorities issued permits to a number of anti-EU, environmentalist and anti-globalisation groups, allowing them to demonstrate in the centre of Gothenburg. And the Swedish government provided cheap accommodation for protesters arriving from outside the city.

On Friday evening, Mr Persson, Commission President Romano Prodi and the EU's foreign policy supremo, Dr Javier Solana, took part in a lengthy debate with representatives of non-governmental organisations that are critical of the EU.

Belgium has indicated it will ensure that all EU meetings during its presidency will be held away from city centres. And a number of EU interior ministers have indicated they favour a "get tough" policy with anti-EU protesters in future.

There is pressure on the Italian authorities to seal off the city of Genoa for next month's meeting of G8 leaders. But Italy's Foreign Minister, Mr Renato Ruggiero, called for dialogue with the protesters.

"It is clear there is no clear line of communication between us and the activists, it is clear we will not be able to convince them that what they want is often exactly what we want. A dialogue is needed, an open and democratic dialogue," he said.