1st LD: EU ministers meet to enhance anti-terrorism cooperation after Brussels attacks

The justice and security ministers of the European Union (EU) held an extraordinary meeting here on Thursday in wake of the deadly Brussels attacks, seeking to enhance their anti-terrorism cooperation.

"The meeting is intended to show solidarity with Belgium, discuss the actual state of play in the fight against terrorism and pursue swift completion and implementation of legislation," the Council of the EU said in a statement.

"We are here today, first of all, we share our condolence with people of Belgium, then also to emphasize that we stand together, shoulder to shoulder, to defend our way of life, our liberty, and to fight terrorism," said Ronald Plasterk, Dutch Interior Minister, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU.

Plasterk said that the EU needs to stand together to share information to better counter terrorism. He also suggested that the bloc will seek to safeguard its passport-free policy which was already jeopardized by migrant crisis and terrorism.

"We will work out today that we defend our liberty including the liberty to travel within Europe," Plasterk said.

Ministers will not take new decisions but will publish a declaration, including calls for a quick activation of the air passenger name record (PNR), a measure which would require more systematic collection, use and retention of data on international airline passengers, according to the Brussels-based media EUobserver.

They will also renew calls for more intelligence sharing and use of EU databases like the Schengen information system or Europol's database, media reported.

The special meeting came two days after the terror atrocity in Brussels as a series of explosions at its airport and a metro station have caused at least 31 deaths.

The bloc is currently faced with heavy criticism on insufficient intelligence sharing after the Brussels attacks. Endit