The legislation, which is seen as a keystone of the anti-terrorism measures conceived following the September 11 attacks, will be implemented early next year by the six countries.

Spain, Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal and Luxembourg will push through domestic legislation to cut lengthy extradition procedures involving 32 crimes ranging from terrorism and hijacking to fraud, money laundering and child pornography.

The agreement was reached at an informal meeting of the EU's justice and interior ministers in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. The remaining nine EU member nations will have until Jan 1, 2004 to implement the new legislation.

The future of the warrant was put in doubt last December when Italy said it would refuse to sign on the basis that the list of crimes covered by the warrant was too vague. It was cajoled into accepting only days before EU leaders met in December.

7 February 2002: EU gets a new arrest warrant but safeguard is blocked
12 December 2001: Deal gives go ahead to EU warrant
7 December 2001: Berlusconi vetoes EU warrant
27 November 2001: Will Euro-warrants put fair trials at risk?
19 September 2001: Fast track for EU laws on terrorism
13 March 2001: Euro-warrant to speed up extradition


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