EU security: An Irish EU presidency proposal to create an EU anti-terrorism chief has received a lukewarm response from EU leaders, the European Commission and police representatives. The Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, called earlier this week for the appointment of an anti-terrorist commissioner but Mr Prodi's spokesman yesterday criticised the EU's knee-jerk reaction to appoint "a Mr This or a Mr That", writes Denis Staunton in Brussels
The Commission announced yesterday that it would propose a number of measures in advance of Friday's emergency meeting of Justice and Home Affairs ministers in Brussels.
The Irish presidency has suggested that EU governments should make a political commitment to come to each other's aid in the event of a terrorist attack.
The presidency also proposed that a single person should co-ordinate the EU's anti-terrorist measures and security co-operation between European institutions and non-EU states.
A presidency spokesman said yesterday that Ireland was not "pushing" the idea of an anti-terrorism chief but was simply suggesting it as a possibility.
Germany's Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, and the French President, Mr Jacques Chirac, yesterday poured cold water on a proposal from Austria and Belgium to create a European equivalent to the CIA.
Mr Heinz Kiefer, the head of the European Confederation of Police, warned the EU against responding to last week's attacks in Madrid by proposing a raft of new measures rather than improving co-operation within existing structures.
Calls for new counter-terrorism laws were not the answer.
"What Europe needs to beat terrorism is not another decision on paper," he said.
Mr Kiefer pointed out that some EU countries have yet to implement the European Arrest Warrant, which was approved after September 11th, 2001.
The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, is returning from a visit to South Africa to chair Friday's meeting.
Foreign ministers will discuss the Madrid bombings when they meet in Brussels on Monday and EU leaders are expected the following Thursday to devote a special session of their summit to the security situation.