Brussels, 05/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 1 October, the home affairs ministers of the EU pleaded in favour of an increased role for the European Police Office, Europol, in the fight against cross-border crime in Europe. Meeting in The Hague, where the agency's offices are situated, the ministers supported the need for extended cooperation between Europol, the judicial cooperation agency "Eurojust" and the European external borders agency, "Frontex". In this context, they called upon the three agencies to draft a joint report on how they could reinforce their cooperation. "Europol is underused (...). Europol should be a hub for exchanges of information. The office should also provide a platform for police cooperation" in Europe, said Swedish Justice Minister Beatrice Ask after the meeting. European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Jacques Barrot reiterated that "crime knows no boundaries and therefore reinforced cooperation between the police services is more vital than ever". He welcomed the important part played by Europol in the European internal security strategy. The ministers also agreed to increase Europol's potential in the fight against organised crime in the Balkans, through a partnership with the EU police missions in the region. Additionally, the idea of creating a profile of the 100 biggest criminals active in Europe on the basis of the Europol information system was accepted. Lastly, the ministers stressed the importance of developing Europol as a centre of expertise to fight new criminal phenomena such as cybercrime, Euro counterfeiting and financial crime. (B.C./transl.fl)