The European Commissioner Mr David Byrne today said greater harmonisation in criminal law across EU countries does not have to be in conflict with the State's common law tradition.
Speaking in Brussels today, Mr Byrne said he personally was in favour of simliar criminal laws for a small number of specific offences with a cross-border element, such as people-trafficking, money-laundering and drug-trafficking.
He denied the EU was seeking to harmonise all areas of criminal law such as murder and burglary.
The possibility of a limited number of common EU criminal laws has been raised by the Convention on the Future of Europe which is working to prepare a revised treaty and constitution for the EU.
Mr Byrne said it had already been agreed, at Amsterdam in 1997, to seek agreement on common definitions and penalties for a number of serious cross-border crimes.