Justice and home affairs ministers from the European Union (EU) nations are meeting on Thursday and Friday to discuss the fight against terrorism.

This is one of the major meetings since Britain assumed the EU's rotating presidency in July, and the ministers are expected to come up with an EU strategic framework on anti-terrorism.

The two-day gathering of ministers from the 25 EU members will also see workshops on how to tackle organized crimes including drug and human trafficking, illegal migration and false seeking of asylum.

Prior to the meeting, British Home Secretary Charles Clarke has pressed the need for practical EU support for intelligence-led operations and cross-border prosecutions, the development of joint teams to combat drug-dealing and people-trafficking.

On migration and asylum, Clarke said during Britain's presidency, significant EU-re-admission agreements with certain countries could be achieved.

Meanwhile, the European Council has also agreed on the need to pursue and investigate terrorists across borders, to prevent people from turning to terrorism, to protect citizens and infrastructure from terrorist attacks as well as to get prepared to manage and minimize the consequences of the attacks.

The on-going ministerial meeting is a major step forward by reviewing the current EU legislation to ensure it meets the realities of the current threat and gives law enforcement authorities the tools needed to fight terrorism.

It is expected that a refreshed framework will be agreed upon among EU countries by December which will balance security for all members and rights for individuals.

Source: Xinhua