European Union (EU) justice and home affairs ministers yesterday agreed to consider putting in place an early warning mechanism for suspects linked to terrorism and organized crime.

They also agreed to assess whether there is a need to amend existing legal instruments in order to make the application of this mechanism legally binding.

The ministers agreed that the early warning system would be based on the Schengen Information System, a secure database used by 27 European countries -- 24 EU member states plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland -- for the purpose of maintaining and distributing information related to border security and law enforcement.

The ministers also invited EU member states and the European Commission to determine a joint working strategy to fight cyber crime.

This strategy should be possible to cope even more effectively with the multiple crimes committed by means of electronic networks, such as child pornography, sexual violence, and terrorism. The strategy should also be able to combat the traditional forms of crime committed via the Internet, such as identity fraud, identity theft, fraudulent sales, financial offenses, illicit trading on the Internet, particularly narcotics and arms dealing.

The ministers also stressed the need to prevent and combat illegal trafficking of cultural goods through enhanced cooperation of member states. They asked the European Commission to come up with proposals on instruments relating to the handling of cultural goods stolen in the EU, with a view to preventing the resale of stolen cultural goods and to their traceability.

They also wanted Interpol to play a bigger role in this regard.