EU proposes terrorist database.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: Up front: news, trends & analysis - European Union

The European Union's head office recently proposed a Europe-wide database of criminal records for terrorists as part of efforts to improve cooperation between governments in the wake of the March 11 train bombings in Madrid.

The European Commission has scolded governments for dragging their heels in enacting anti-terrorism measures approved after the September 11, 2001, attacks and urged EU governments to set aside "bureaucratic and technical" hurdles.

Anti-terror proposals have caused friction between the EU's head office, European lawmakers, and the United States. A European Parliament committee voted against a commission deal allowing U.S. authorities to collect personal data on airline passengers, saying it undermined privacy rights. The United States has demand ed all airlines to provide passenger data--including credit card data and meal preferences--within 15 minutes of departure and threatened fines of up to $6,000 per passenger and the loss of landing rights for noncompliance.

The European Commission report proposed a register of suspected terrorists' convictions to help governments keep track of their activities and dry up their funds. It also urged countries to implement EU laws enabling courts across the EU to...