Brussels, 12/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - The United States and the European Union have agreed a series of tangible measures to boost cooperation on counter-terrorism and fighting organised crime at a meeting in Washington on 6 October (see EUROPE 9040). US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said that the 'United States would increase cooperation with the European law enforcement organisations EUROPOL and Eurojust', while US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, who co-hosted the meeting with Gonzales, highlighted border security progress: 'The United States and EU are exchanging information on passenger name data handling,' and both sides intended to 'pursue - at various levels - research and information exchanges leading to a common view of how to respond to terrorism or natural catastrophe, including how to protect and restore critical infrastructure.' European Commission Franco Frattini stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between strong security and fundamental human rights, fighting organised crime and all kinds of trafficking, and protecting intellectual property.
On behalf of the British Presidency, British Home Secretary Charles Clarke highlighted the group's discussion of document security and visas, and concern about false passports. He said there would be a meeting of EU, US and Interpol experts in London later this year 'to establish best practices in detecting fraudulent passports.' Austrian interior minister Liese Prokop (speaking on behalf of the next Presidency of the Council) said the need to deal with organised crime and terrorism couldn't be confined to Europe and the US, but had to be widened out.