France and Germany on Tuesday played down talk of creating a "European CIA" in the wake of the deadly Madrid train bombings, saying the priority was to boost co-operation between existing intelligence services.
The European Union is considering appointing a special anti-terrorism tsar as a result of last Thursday's Madrid attacks, in which 200 people died and some 1,500 were injured.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, speaking at a joint news conference with French President Jacques Chirac, said the creation of a European equivalent of the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States was not the priority right now.
"I think our main task is to improve co-operation between the existing intelligence services," he said.
"Should we in the future envisage the creation of a new European structure? That can't be ruled out, but first of all ...we have to reinforce co-operation between the existing services in the fight against terrorism."
Chirac said the major intelligence agencies in Europe had over the past 18 months set aside their previous reluctance to work together in the face of the new threat from extremists.
Closer intelligence co-operation is likely to be debated at an emergency meeting of EU interior and justice ministers on Friday.
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