By Gary Titley, Labour MEP for the North-west

SEPTEMBER 11 has taught us all some painful lessons, not least that terrorism is now global, respecting no frontiers.

It is also big business with financial resources across the world and close links with organised crime.

Set against this harsh new reality, the efforts of individual nations to fight terrorism can seem rather puny. Astonishingly only six EU member countries currently have laws on terrorism. That situation needs to change urgently.

Within days of the suicide attacks on New York and Washington, EU heads of government met in emergency session to plan the fight-back against global terrorism. They agreed that much greater police and judicial co-operation was crucial to route out the terrorists and those who finance their deadly activities.

So what does this mean in practice? All EU member countries will immediately feed data on terrorism into a newly created anti-terrorist unit within Europool that will work closely with its American counterparts. Joint investigation teams will also be set up to sift through national police and intelligence information to draw up a common Europe-wide list of possible terrorists and the organisations that support them.

Of course, all that vital work will count for nothing if terrorist suspects continue to take advantage of the painfully slow and cumbersome extradition process between EU member countries to delay their passage to justice. The current system will therefore be replaced by a new European arrest warrant.

Powerful

The warrant will allow "wanted persons" to be handed over from one national judicial authority to another. It will provide a powerful new weapon in the EU's anti-terrorist armoury while, at the same time, guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms.

Europe is also acting to cut off terrorism's financial lifeline. New laws on money laundering, currently going through the EU's legislative process, will be extended to cover any form of funding for terrorist activities. Mindful that September 11 has made people fearful of flying, the special EU Summit in Brussels agreed to strengthen aircraft security.

The measures adopted include classification of weapons, technical training for aircrew, more stringent baggage checks and better cockpit protection.

Europe has also recognised the need to tackle the causes of terrorism, especially by humanitarian action and by working with international partners to reinvigorate the Middle East peace process. In addition, EU leaders have stressed the global need to combat extreme nationalism, racism and xenophobia, wherever it rears its ugly head.

Though the world now faces great dangers, it also has a rare opportunity to join forces to build a better and safer future, based on peace, tolerance and the rule of law. For all those who lost their lives on September 11, as Tony Blair said at Labour's Conference in Brighton: "Let that be their memorial."