Brussels, 11/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Directors General of the EU Member States and of the candidate countries responsible for civil protection met on Thursday in Knokke to discuss strengthened European cooperation in this field. The meeting had already been programmed before 11 September but the agenda was upset by current events. Thus, the JHA Council on 20 September called for discussion, in Knokke, of the question regarding the response that civil protection authorities plan to give to "bio-terrorist" threats, for example. At European level, the Community action programme on civil protection matters could be an adequate framework as its scope covers not only natural disasters but also technological disaster, say sources close to the Commission. All the more as this programme should shortly be completed with a Community mechanism for coordinating emergency intervention. It has received the EP's approval.