Brussels, Belgium, Dec 2, SPA -- European Union justice andinterior ministers were discussing a contentious planThursday on retaining data from telephone calls and e-mailsas part of beefed-up measures to fight terrorism andorganized 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 newsecurity features in passports. Plans to retain telecoms traffic data was made a keyanti-terror priority by EU leaders following the March 11rail bombings in Madrid. They set a June 2005 deadline tohave a new law on the books. The current draft calls for a minimum and mandatoryretention period of 12 months, but would not include therecording of the content of calls _ only at what timescalls or e-mails were sent and to whom. Telecommunications providers would have to retain theirrecords for at least 12 months in case police investigatorsneed to check them. On passports, ministers were to look at fast-trackingefforts to upgrade security measures in the traveldocuments, adding digital fingerprints and photos.--SPA 1328 Local Time 1028 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/221418