European Union justice and interior ministers were discussing a contentious plan Thursday on retaining data from telephone calls and e-mails as part of beefed-up measures to fight terrorism and organized crime. No decision on the plan was expected during the talks, which will also focus on efforts to set up a European "evidence warrant" and further coordination on new security features in passports. Plans to retain telecoms traffic data was made a key anti-terror priority by EU leaders following the March 11 rail bombings in Madrid. They set a June 2005 deadline to have a new law on the books. The current draft calls for a minimum and mandatory retention period of 12 months, but would not include the recording of the content of calls _ only at what times calls or e-mails were sent and to whom. Telecommunications providers would have to retain their records for at least 12 months in case police investigators need to check them. On passports, ministers were to look at fast-tracking efforts to upgrade security measures in the travel documents, adding digital fingerprints and photos.
