EU targets terror groups

The inclusion of Eta is a coup for Madrid

The European Union has drawn up a list of terrorist organisations in the wake of the 11 September attacks on the United States.

The list includes:

ETA

External security arms of Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad

November 17, Revolutionary Cells and Revolutionary Popular Struggle

Continuity IRA, the Real IRA, the Loyalist Volunteer Force, the Orange Volunteers, the Red Hand Defenders and the Ulster Defence Association/Ulster Freedom Fighters

The list, which was published on Friday, includes the Basque separatist group ETA and various armed groups in Northern Ireland, such as the Real IRA.

By establishing a common list of terrorist groups, European law enforcement agencies hope to improve co-ordination in tackling them.

At the moment, authorities say, variations in the law and easy passage between EU borders help groups avoid being caught.

The list, which contains 12 groups and 30 individuals, included the external security arms of Palestinian militant groups Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Officials said the list would be reviewed and was likely to be expanded in the near future.

Spanish triumph

A BBC correspondent in Brussels, Oana Lungescu, says the inclusion of ETA, along with various political, youth and social groups who support it and three individuals from its political wing, Batasuna, is a significant victory for the Spanish Government.

The list should improve cross-border co-ordination

Spanish Interior Minister Mariano Rajoy hailed the move as a "great step forward".

It is the first time that all 15 EU governments have publicly described ETA as terrorist.

Madrid has already made fighting terrorism a top priority for when it takes over the presidency of the EU for the next six months, beginning on 1 January.

The list also names three extreme-left Greek organisations - November 17, Revolutionary Cells and Revolutionary Popular Struggle - and individuals include Saudis, Lebanese and Kuwaitis.

The list is part of a package of measures adopted by the EU in response to the attacks on New York and Washington.

The EU has already decided to freeze the accounts of those suspected of links with Osama Bin Laden, Washington's prime suspect for the attacks, and it has moved fast to close legal loopholes by agreeing on a common definition of terrorism.

It has also introduced a fast-track European arrest warrant and an unprecedented level of co-operation with the US in fighting terrorism.