Fearful that the Madrid bombings could mark the start of an al-Qaida terror campaign in Europe, EU foreign ministers sought urgent agreement yesterday on measures to enhance cooperation between police and intelligence services across the continent.

　　Ideas, including a new post of European Union counterterrorism coordinator and a NATO-style commitment for EU governments to rush to one another's aid in the event of terrorist attacks, may be adopted by the end of this week when the bloc's leaders gather in Brussels, Belgium.

　　"What we have got to look at is practical measures to complete counterterrorism cooperation and investigative capacities within Europe," said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

　　European ministers also denounced the killing of Hamas spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin, claiming it would set back hopes of reviving peace talks in the Middle East.

　　"We have to fight terror everywhere, Israel also has to fight terror...but extra-judicial killings is not one of the ways," Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller told reporters.

　　"I don't believe Israel will benefit from the fact that this morning an 80-year-old in a wheel chair was the target of their assassination," Straw added as he arrived for the talks.

　　The EU ministers were also to issue an appeal for Kosovo's Serbs and Albanians to "refrain from provocative acts" following last week's outbreak of ethnic violence which killed 28 people.

　　Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security policy chief, was expected to travel to Kosovo tomorrow to hold talks with the political leadership there.

　　On terrorism, the ministers were working on a declaration which commits the 25 current and soon-to-be EU members to "act jointly in a spirit of solidarity if one...is the victim of a terrorist attack."

　　It includes a pledge to mobilize "all the instruments at their disposal, including military resources," to prevent attacks or assist one another in the aftermath.

　　"In the fight against terrorism, the national interests are not the leading element because every country is in the same situation," said Solana. "International and European cooperation is absolutely fundamental."

　　EU leaders are expected to finalize the declaration at their meeting on Thursday and Friday. The summit had been scheduled to focus on the economy until the Madrid attacks pushed terrorism to the top of the EU's agenda.

　　Other steps would create an anti-terrorism coordinator at EU headquarters and increase pressure on governments to quickly implement already agreed measures such as an EU-wide arrest warrant.

　　However, calls from Belgium and Austria for a centralized European intelligence agency have found little backing because of concerns it could increase bureaucracy and the risk of intelligence leaks.

　　Spy chiefs from France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain were meeting in Madrid yesterday to review the March 11 train bombings and discuss how to improve cross-border cooperation.

　　The EU foreign ministers will also look at Iran's nuclear intentions, as well as prospects for reopening talks on a first-ever EU constitution and progress on creating jobs and improving economic competitiveness in Europe.

　　(The Associated Press)