Brussels, 11/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Council of the EU and the European Commission commemorated the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks which took place in the United States on 11 September 2001, paying tribute to the families of the victims and emphasising the need to continue to combat the scourge of terrorism. “Terrorism is a threat to all States and to all peoples,” the Finnish Presidency said on Monday, recommitting itself to the fight against terrorism, “a priority for the European Union”. It said it valued its cooperation with Washington in combating terrorism, emphasising that any measures taken must comply with international law, “in particular international human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law”. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the Commission was “more determined than ever” to tackle the causes and the consequences of global terrorism, particularly through the European anti-terrorism strategy. In a letter to US Secretary for Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini stressed, “we are better prepared to respond than we were five years ago. … Looking to the future, the exchange of personal information will be a key issue,” but we must remain “true to our commitment to privacy and data protection”.