At a meeting in Morocco, an envoy from the French EU presidency said the aim is to improve "logistical aid, inspector training, the development of national relations and support for the UN treaty on arms control."

"This meeting on arms trading is the first one between the two sides of the Mediterranean," Jean-Luc Brunet added.

EU representatives are holding talks with the five member countries of the Arab Maghreb Union -- Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia -- and Egypt in Rabat until Friday.

"What applies to the European Union can also apply to your region," said EU envoy Rose-Marie Chabanski, adding that north African countries should publish details of the sales of their arms equipment and military technology.

Another envoy, Italy's Diego Martini, justified the bloc's decision for tougher rules on arms trading in the Maghreb, arguing that terrorists can easily seize arms that pass through the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean heading to the Indian Ocean.

"All of us must fight terrorism," said Italian EU represetative Diego Martini.

Moroccan representative Youssef Amrani said the problem lies in the number of small arms and light weapons -- an estimated 600 million -- currently in circulation around the world.

"Their unchecked increase, combined with illegal arms trafficking, fuels criminal behaviour, stirs up conflicts, weakens stability and threatens develepment," he said.

According to the United Nations, of 49 conflicts in the 1990s, 47 were fought with small arms and light weapons.

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