EU: The European Union's new anti-terrorism chief has chided member-states for being too slow to implement anti-terrorism measures agreed after the attacks of September 11th, 2001.
Mr Gijs de Vries told EU justice and home affairs ministers in Luxembourg that governments had been too slow to keep their promise to introduce new legislation.
"The speed of implementation has increased but not yet to the level where we would like it to be," he said.
EU leaders agreed in March to introduce by the end of June national legislation to implement agreed anti-terrorist measures, including the introduction of a European arrest warrant.
Germany, Greece, Italy, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Malta and Slovakia have not yet adopted the warrant, despite the renewed impetus given the anti-terrorist drive by March's bombings in Madrid.
Mr de Vries presented the ministers with an 18-month action plan to improve the EU's defences against terrorism, including deadlines for the European Commission to make proposals for new measures. He stressed, however, that the EU's capacity to fight terrorism was limited, with the main responsibility remaining with the member-states.
"I think we should be careful that nobody gets the impression that suddenly Brussels is going to solve the problem of terrorism. What the Union can do is to assist the national police forces and national security services, but the main responsibility remains firmly in the hands of national governments," he said.
The ministers failed to resolve a dispute over who should succeed Mr Jürgen Storbeck, whose term as director of Europol, the EU police agency, ends this month. France wants Mr Jacques Franquet, director of the international and technical police co-operation service (SCITP), to be given the job, but Germany wants to offer Mr Storbeck a second term.
Italy also has a candidate, but most diplomats now see the race as between the French and the German candidates. The appointment must be agreed unanimously, and the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, who chaired yesterday's meeting, declined to put the decision to a vote.
Mr McDowell expressed satisfaction at an agreement to establish a European refugee fund for the period 2005-2010. The fund will dispense more than €100 million each year, doubling the EU resources available to help member-states to receive asylum-seekers, refugees and displaced persons.
"I very much welcome today's agreement on this important measure which will greatly facilitate the effective introduction of its many provisions," he said.