DRESDEN (Germany), Jan 15: A majority of EU interior ministers on Monday supported a proposal to share DNA and fingerprint data to fight crime and terrorism, EU officials said.

But Britain, Czech Republic, Ireland and Poland, among the 27 EU members, held out for more time to examine the financial and judicial implications of the proposal from Germany, which assumed the EU presidency this month.

Under the scheme, the treaty of Prum, a police cooperation deal so far signed by Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain, would be extended to all members.

The treaty, named after the western German town where it was signed in 2005, allows participating nations mutual and automatic access to DNA and fingerprint records, as well as car registration information.

At present it is operational only between Austria, Germany and Spain, which have fully ratified the treaty.

Saying there was a “broad consensus” at the meeting in Dresden, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble added that there would be a legislative proposition next month to extend the deal to all member states. Such an agreement would need unanimous agreement within the newly expanded EU of 27.

Germany, which hosted last year's World Cup, cites that as a shining example of police force cooperation within the EU.

“During the 2006 World Cup, giving guest officers executive powers... proved particularly effective,” the German EU presidency said in a statement.

The seven signatory states hope to emulate the model of the Schengen visa-free travel arrangement in using the effectiveness of an initiative by EU “pioneer” states to persuade fellow members to adopt the scheme and work towards integrating it into European law.

Under the treaty, German judicial authorities have accessed 708 DNA samples “of people known to the Austrian authorities, including 14 involved in murder or manslaughter,” the German EU presidency said in a statement.—AFP