Strasbourg, 13/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Chair of the EP Committee on Citizens' Freedoms, Jean-Marie Cavada (ALDE, France), took a stance on Monday for the setting in place of an instrument to ensure progress is made in the affair surrounding the alleged existence of CIA detention centres and flights in Europe (EUROPE 9082). The Parliament seems to have little room for manoeuvre since the EP legal service sent Mr Cavada an opinion on Monday pointing out that, at this stage, there is no legal base for allowing a temporary fact-finding committee to be set in place (EUROPE 9087). Mr Cavada said during the meeting of the citizens' freedoms committee in Strasbourg, that it is nonetheless a matter of determining whether such information has been released in order to destabilise the situation or whether there is really serious violation against European citizens or others on European soil. Taking the floor during the debate, Franco Frattini recalled that he had requested answers from EU Member States which “solemnly denied” all involvement. “I do not have the means to demonstrate whether what they said is true or not, and I do not wish to cast doubt upon their credibility without proof”, he admitted, however, calling for support to be given to the Council of Europe's investigations. The Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security said he had written to his counterparts, Benita-Ferrero Waldner and Jacques Barrot, asking them to cooperate with the Council of Europe, mainly by forwarding any information from Eurocontrol (on aircraft movements in the EU). Mr Frattini also deplored the fact that an extradition agreement between the EU and the US, signed in 2003 and ratified by the Americans, had still not been ratified by the Europeans. In the current affair, it would have been useful to have such an instrument, he said.