‘Balance needed on trade and terror laws’

A CORRECT balance must be struck between the need for new EU-US anti-terror laws and world trade, business leaders from both sides of the Atlantic told political leaders at a meeting in Adare Manor, Co Limerick, yesterday.

Tánaiste Mary Harney, US Secretary of State for Commerce Donald Evans and the EU Commissioner for Enterprise Jan Figel met with the chief executives of some of the world’s leading companies ahead of today’s EU-US summit at Dromoland Castle.

The business leaders, who are members of the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD), have presented a report to the summit in which it argues striking a balance between international commerce and national security has become a critical issue since the 9/11 attacks on the US.

The TABD supports agreements already reached in areas including airline passenger lists and port and container security.

The European Commission said it recognises the need to balance economic and security issues.

Tánaiste Mary Harney said discussing issues of concern to business represented an important opportunity to contribute to the further development of commercial relations between Europe and the US.