BIRMINGHAM, England - European Union justice ministers agreed on Thursday to consider letting police snoop on Internet users as a measure to tackle organized crime.
Police, who fear the Net is being used by international criminals for money laundering and other crimes, are currently barred from tapping into email or other electronic messaging.
The ministers, gathered for an informal meeting in Birmingham, in central England, agreed police should be given new powers but added they should be tightly restricted so as not to damage the rapidly growing computer industry.
"There could only be such access under strictly controlled conditions and on the basis of demonstrable need," said an official. However, details about what those conditions would be and what kind of powers the police might get were not defined.
Britain's Home Secretary Jack Straw, who is hosting the first meeting of justice ministers on his home territory under Britain's six-month EU presidency, says police forces must be brought into the modern age.
"We are using 19th century procedures to pursue 21st century criminals," he said recently.
Officials said another of Britain's objectives under its presidency - the establishment of the pan-European police force Europol - now appeared within its grasp. All but four of the EU's 15 member countries have ratified the treaty to set up Europol and they expect to do so within the next few months.
"Europol should be up and running by the summer," the official said. The force will gather information to help national police forces to counter cross-border crime.
