European finance ministers agreed Tuesday to beef up their anti-terrorism efforts by requiring a declaration from anyone carrying more than ¤10,000 (US$13,000) in or out of the 25-nation bloc. EU Taxation and Customs Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said the measure was designed to «prevent laundered money from reaching criminals and terrorists,» without unduly interfering with legitimate travelers and traders. The level currently varies by country. France, for example, sets a ¤7,000 (US$9,100) threshold, while in Germany it's ¤15,000 (US$19,500). Dutch Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm, who chaired the meeting, said the ministers settled on ¤10,000 _ the same threshold that applies to electronic bank transfers. Zalm said it would be up to customs officials to catch violators, noting that screenings have gotten tighter post-Sept. 11. «There are also dogs who can smell money, I'm told,» he said. «Because money stinks.» A 6-month operation by EU customs authorities in 1999-2000 to monitor cross-border cash movements in excess of ¤10,000 found total cash movements of ¤1.35 billion (US$1.75 billion), according to the EU head office.
