Reacting to the speech by the US Vice President, Joe Biden, to the European Parliament today, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (VVD, Netherlands), EP rapporteur on the Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme, said:

"Like Vice President Joe Biden, we are committed toTransatlantic cooperation in the fight against terrorism and consider that closer cooperation and understanding is essential to the effectiveness of counter-terrorism measures."

"No-one has the moral high ground in the balance between security and privacy but the Vice-President's speech struck the right tone and message of an Administration that is willing to listen and not just lecture."

"Both sides agree on the imperative of reaching a mutually acceptable agreement as soon as possible to plug the current vacuum, but the European Parliament cannot be complicit in any agreement that goes against our own laws."

"The United States is now fully aware of our concerns following the visit by representatives of the Civil Liberties committee to Washington last week. Joe Biden today showed that he has understood the message and is determined that it is in America's interest to work with us rather than alone to defeat terrorism without undermining the basis of our free and open society."