The European Union's Irish presidency has called a special meeting of EU interior ministers for Friday to discuss how the bloc should respond to the deadly Madrid bombings.
Among the measures being proposed by Ireland are a commitment to solidarity, with member states coming to each other's assistance in response to terrorist threats, a revised action plan on terrorism and the appointment of a security co-ordinator to streamline the fight against terrorism.
Improved intelligence co-operation between police and security services will also be discussed along with increased co-ordination between the EU and the United Nations and new moves to crack down on terrorist finances.
An emergency meeting on the issue was first called for yesterday by the German Interior Minister, Otto Schily, and was supported by the French Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin.
Three-minute silence observed
Earlier, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, thanked the people across Europe who took part in a three-minute silence in memory of the victims of the Madrid bombings.
Mr Ahern observed the silence at Government Buildings in Dublin along with staff from the Spanish Embassy and hundreds of civil servants.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Ahern said the silence displayed a collective sense of solidarity with the Spanish people and would strengthen the resolve to fight the scourge of terrorism.
There were silences throughout Ireland, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as in a number of non-EU countries including the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Croatia and Bulgaria.
