Creating an effective machinery to fight organised crime has been an EU priority during several presidencies.

BBC Home Affairs Correspondent, Jon Silverman, describes how the UK aims to tackle crime in Europe (2'30")

The UK will concentrate on trying to get Europol - the police intelligence organisation - fully operational. This is unlikely to happen before next July because so far, only eight out of 15 states have ratified the Europol Convention.

Concern has been expressed about how accountable Europol officers will be and also about the practices of some continental police forces - for example, the Dutch, who allowed drugs to be sold by criminals as part of so-called "controlled deliveries".

But the Home Office minister, Joyce Quin, said domestic differences didn't rule out a common approach.

Bearing in mind the secrecy which surrounds most EU deliberations, the UK will press for greater transparency - with the prospect of agendas for some meetings being openly available for the first time.

It is a move welcomed by civil liberties groups, though Tony Bunyan, who edits the newsletter, 'Statewatch', remains dissatisfied with the way crime and justice matters have been handled.

The threat of racism and xenophobia is certainly real and will also be a priority for the United Kingdom presidency.