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Italy agrees to EU arrest plan

Berlsuconi and Verhofstadt find agreement on EU warrant deal

ROME, Italy -- Italy has agreed to endorse a pan-European arrest warrant, ending a stalemate with EU partners in the battle against terrorism.

The agreement was announced at a joint news conference by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his Belgian counterpart Guy Verhofstadt on Tuesday. Belgium currently holds the rotating presidency.

"I'm very pleased we've found a solution on this very important point," Verhofstadt was quoted by The Associated Press as saying.

Italy's reluctance to endorse the sweeping warrant, seen as an important weapon against terrorism, had left it isolated from its partners in the European Union.

The 14 other EU nations have already agreed to a joint warrant for 32 crimes ranging from terrorism to money laundering to child pornography.

Italy wanted to exclude fraud and corruption from the list of crimes covered.

Berlusconi said some Italian laws -- including parts of the constitution -- would need amending to make them compatible with the European warrant. He pledged to send measures to parliament right away.

"We'll see if we can manage to do it within 2004," the deadline set by the EU, he said.

Some critics said the media baron was blocking the warrant because of his own legal problems, which include a tax evasion inquiry in Spain involving his holding company, Fininvest.

Berlusconi denied this. "There has been a misunderstanding, thinking there was a particular and personal interest on behalf of the Italian premier," he said.

Berlusconi said Italy agreed to endorse the warrant because "there was a desire expressed" by the rest of the EU.