Belgium has proposed the setting up a dedicated centre to share and analyse intelligence in the European Union, following Thursday's train bombings in Madrid.
Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt has asked other European leaders to consider an intelligence equivalent to police co-operation body Europol at an EU summit in Brussels on March 26th, the government's website said.
The centre "would analyse terrorist threats and communicate its analyses to all the member states of the European Union," the prime minister's office said in a statement.
Mr Verhofstadt has written to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, about the matter. Ireland, as EU President, controls the summit agenda.