Police chiefs from six European countries operating the Schengen accord, together with Turkey and Greece, have agreed on a programme of action to try to combat illegal immigration to the European Union. The agreement came after a day of talks in Rome. The meeting was called after a flood of Kurds to Italy's southern coast in the past ten days. Orla Guerin reports from Rome.

It was a marathon session. The European police chiefs were due to meet for about four hours; in the event, they carried on talking for twice that long.

They were looking for ways to stem the flood of illegal immigrants into what used to be called Fortress Europe. Italy, which called the meeting, is the main worry -- it has always been a magnet for illegals and its lax immigration controls mean that, once here, they can travel on elsewhere.

The hours of talking didn't produce any instant remedies, but the police chiefs agreed on an action plan with two main elements. The first step is preventative: to tighten border controls.

The second element is a joint investigation into the criminal gangs which organize the illegal traffic in humans. And there'll be a better exchange of information between the countries affected.