Brussels, 03/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 2 December, EU home office ministers adopted an action plan to boost the fight in the EU against the use of weapons of war by criminals and roving criminal gangs by increased sharing of information between the different national police forces through the Europol police cooperation agency and setting up joint investigation teams. The definition of crimes will be also harmonised in each country, explained the Belgian interior minister, Annemie Turtelboom, on Thursday. The new action plan will not have specified budgets or additional police. Europol director Rob Wainwright said that given the budget situation in the member states at the moment, he did not expect any extra cash but information exchange can be greatly improved in the member states without extra staff. The action plan will not hinder or restrict the free circulation of individuals, explained Annemie Turtelboom, who made adoption of an EU action plan against heavy weaponry and roving criminal gangs one of the priorities for the Began Presidency of the European Union Council of Ministers. The ministers also adopted conclusions on identity crime prevention and the fight against this, and conclusions on the sharing of information mechanism for changes to threat levels to the member states. The European situation centre (SITCEN) will immediately relay information about changes in threats at national level to the contact points in the other member states. (B.C./transl.fl)