FBI-style force is sought by Bruton to beat crime

THE Taoiseach yesterday called for a European FBI-style police force to fight organised crime in the EU. Although Mr Bruton acknowledged that the idea may not reach fruition during the Irish presidency, he believed there was a growing conviction among fellow leaders of the need for a real EU capability in dealing with crime.

"We must have the same level of sophistication as states upholding democratic values and law and order as, unfortunately, the crime organisations are able to organise too easily," the Taoiseach told journalists.

Mr Bruton was in Paris for talks on the Irish presidency with France's President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace, following Wednesday night's meeting in Luxembourg of the leaders of the European People's Party, the Christian Democrat/Conservative group to which Fine Gael is affiliated.

The Taoiseach, who has made the fight against crime, particularly the drugs trade, a central theme of the Irish presidency, has taken up with enthusiasm a call made previously by the German Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl, for an EU-wide police force based on Europol.

Dr Kohl's ideas had been greeted with concern in some countries, notably Britain, where the more hysterical press spoke of German policemen on the streets of British cities. In reality, however, both men's proposals are far less dramatic, as Mr Bruton admitted yesterday.

It's a question, he argued of carefully limiting the area of work of such an organisation and of working closely through bilateral channels between police forces.

Mr Bruton said he perceived among his fellow EPP leaders a "very strong resolve" to strengthen the powers and competences of the EU's police intelligence centre, Europol, whose convention was finally approved in Florence last month.

Mr Bruton said his discussions with Mr Chirac had been positive and had reflected the strong interest the French had in making progress in the treaty-changing Inter-governmental Conference.