Lukewarm reception to 'Euro CIA' proposal

EU justice and interior ministers gave a lukewarm reception today to an Austrian proposal for the creation of a European Intelligence Agency similar to the CIA in the United States.

The ministers were doubtful the agency proposed by Austria’s Interior Minister Ernst Strasser would help to improve co-ordination in rooting out terrorist cells in Europe or countering planned attacks.

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, called the Austrian proposal “very interesting,” but he said more progress was needed first on implementing already tabled anti-terrorist measures – such as an EU-wide arrest warrant.

“Before we start creating more agencies, we should learn to walk before we run,” McDowell said in Brussels.

“There is a huge need for concrete cooperation to be enhanced … rather than creating a new agency on paper.”

Diplomats said others countries also reacted cautiously.

Germany said such an agency would duplicate work being done by the EU’s umbrella police organisation, Europol, which already co-ordinates national police and intelligence information gathering on terrorist threats.

The Austrian proposal said European countries had to “create new, flexible multidisciplinary instruments” offering EU governments ”options available to the military, to diplomats and internal security systems.”

It said a so-called EIA would be able to co-ordinate ”challenges and threats” and “obtain and process information” related to security threats posed to EU nations, drawing up monthly threat assessments.

“An EIA should operate in the form of a centre for analysis and monitoring, focusing on terrorism and proliferation” of weapons of mass destruction, it said.

McDowell said he was confident that all EU nations would adopt the European arrest warrant by June.

Of the 15 EU nations, so far only Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Britain, have enacted the measure which covers 32 crimes – from terrorism to child pornography and fraud.

The warrant – which came into force on January 1 – enables authorities in one country to have suspects arrested in another and handed over without lengthy, unwieldy extradition procedures.

“We are optimistic that by the end of the spring all member states will put it into force,” said EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Antonio Vitorino.

The arrest warrant would be valid in the 15 EU states and the 10 nations that join the bloc next May.