European Union ministers have agreed to appoint a counter-terrorism co-ordinator for Europe and have called for early moves to give the EU its own intelligence capacity on terrorist threats.
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, told a news conference in Brussels after a one-day emergency meeting that EU Interior and Justice Ministers had approved 'new institutional arrangements by way of the proposal for the appointment of a counter-terrorism co-ordinator'.
The ministers asked EU Foreign Policy Chief, Javier Solana, to report within 180 days on 'integrating within the council secretariat an intelligence capacity on all aspects of the terrorist threat with a view to informing EU policy and so improving arrangements for the sharing of intelligence'.
Calls from some states for a European Central Intelligence Agency were rejected.
Five refused bail in Spain
Separately, five people suspected of involvement in last week's Madrid bombings have been refused bail at a seven-hour hearing before a judge in Spain.
It is reported that three Moroccan suspects were accused of 190 murders and membership of a terrorist group. Two Indians were accused of co-operating with a terrorist group.
Court sources said all five denied any connection with the bombings or with al-Qaeda. The five were arrested three days after the atrocities in which 202 people were killed.
The release of an Algerian man was also ordered after police found no evidence that he was linked to the attacks.
Intelligence chiefs to meet on Monday
In a separate development, it has been announced that the intelligence chiefs of France, Britain, Germany, Spain and Italy are to meet in Madrid on Monday to consider their response to last week's bomb blasts in the city.
