US attorney general, and the European Union's justice...

US attorney general, and the European Union's justice and interior ministers are to meet in Copenhagen on September 14-15 to take stock of progress on sharing intelligence and combating terrorism since the September 11 attacks.
But there are still misgivings among some member states over how Washington in 2001 sent what amounted to a curt shopping list of measures to Romano Prodi, Commission president, detailing how the EU should tackle money laundering, tighten border controls and crack down on illegal immigrants. The US also asked the Europeans to step up extradition proceedings, something member states would only consider if the US gave guarantees extradited individuals would not be subject to the death penalty.
The Europeans, too, have often complained that calls by the Americans for more intelligence-sharing has often ended up being one-sided and focused on the bilateral. They also have serious complaints over the way non-US citizens captured by the US in Afghanistan and now imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay have no access to defence lawyers.
On the US side, Washington has been critical of several EU states over the lax way passports are issued or over delays in carrying out investigations over alleged terrorist suspects.
Despite these differences, Antonio Vitorino, the EU's justice and home affairs commissioner, said September 11 provided a catalyst for the 15 member states to finally establish a European arrest warrant, a common definition of terrorism and a list of terrorist organisations.
But Vitorino also said September 11 had made it easier for some member states to exploit the event in order to curb illegal immigration.
"It is necessary to have better control of borders. That does not mean we assume that all migrants are potential terrorists. Asylum and immigration are always difficult subjects. September 11 does not make it easier," he said.