COMPLETE COVERAGE | FRONT LINES | AMERICA AT HOME | INTERACTIVES »

EU upbeat on stalled arrest plan

ROME, Italy -- The standoff between Italy and the EU on the creation of a community-wide arrest warrant could be resolved before the start of a summit this weekend, a senior Italian government official has said.

Paolo Bonaiuti, undersecretary in Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government, said he believed the issue could be sorted out when Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt holds talks with his Italian counterpart on Tuesday.

"I am convinced that an agreement will be found that could guarantee the rights of Italian citizens within the framework of the European constitution," Bonaiuti told Reuters.

"Italy, after all, was one of the founding members of the European Union."

CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

Verhofstadt, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, is travelling to Rome in a last-ditch attempt to resolve the crisis ahead of the EU summit in Belgium on Saturday.

Last week, Italy's 14 EU partners agreed to replace cumbersome extradition procedures among member states by a single search-and-arrest warrant for 32 serious crimes, some related to terrorism.

But Italy wants the warrant to cover just six crimes, which would not include fraud and corruption.

Most Italian government ministers have said the warrant could violate Italians' rights and lead to politically motivated actions by foreign magistrates.

Centre-right parties were meeting later on Monday to discuss their response.

In Brussels, EU diplomats voiced optimism that Berlusconi would back down.

"The signals we are getting are positive," said one unnamed senior EU diplomat, speaking after informal meetings between Italian Foreign Minister Renato Ruggiero and his Belgian and Spanish counterparts in the Belgian capital.

The issue has handed Berlusconi one of the most serious European crises since he won elections in June.

The anti-foreigner Northern League has urged Berlusconi not to give in and said the EU warrant would allow non-Italian magistrates to meddle in Italy's affairs.

The warrant is part of the EU's drive to combat terrorism following the September 11 attacks on the United States and would replace cumbersome extradition procedures between member states.