The EU also said European airlines could expect compensation for business lost after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States _ but not as much as they have requested.

The 15 EU governments said they plan to compensate airlines for four days of business they lost when the United States closed its airspace after the attacks. Airlines asked to be reimbursed for business losses of 10 days, but officials said the governments considered that excessive.

The EU also refused to extend coverage for terrorism and war risks beyond Nov. 30, despite appeals from European airlines that want such relief for at least another six months to help them cope with vastly increased insurance premiums.

To make air travel safer, EU officials agreed to tougher checks of luggage and passengers and limits on what can be taken aboard planes.

The EU finance ministers widened a ban on money laundering by applying it to funds earned or used in all serious crimes, not just the illegal drug trade.

They also increased the obligation of lawyers, bankers, accountants, art dealers, gem traders and casino operators to alert governments about dubious transactions involving their customers.

"We call on the rest of the world _ including offshore centers _ to implement regulations requiring institutions to report suspicious assets," said Gordon Brown, Britain's chancellor of the exchequer. "We should stand shoulder to shoulder to root out the financial lifeblood of terrorism."

Meeting in Luxembourg, finance and justice ministers discussed freezing the assets of terrorists, reinforcing security measures, instituting a European arrest warrant and accelerating the extradition of terrorists.

There was no final agreement on those issues, and French Justice Minister Marylise Lebranchu said the EU had to move quickly. "It is important to get all national legislation in force," she told reporters.

In seeking compensation for at least 10 days of lost business, airlines said the U.S. aid package of $15 billion would give American carriers an unfair advantage by allowing them to cut fares.

EU Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio termed aid for American carriers "predatory behavior" that led to "unfair competition from U.S. carriers."

But Dutch Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm said the finance ministers were not ready to go beyond allowing governments to compensate airlines for four days.

Officials said the European Commission, which enforces EU competition rules, will not block government aid designed to rescue national air carriers.

On Wednesday, the Commission is expected to approve a one-month credit of $114 million that Belgium wants to give Sabena, which is on the brink of bankruptcy.

France said Monday it plans to make $278 million available to cover costs of heightening aviation security and aiding French airlines. The package must be cleared by EU competition authorities.

"We are not going to allow the airline industry in Europe to collapse," de Palacio said. "We are going to support it ... without distorting the market."

Some European carriers, including Germany's Lufthansa, have objected to using any state aid to rescue rivals, calling it unfair to those who aren't getting bailouts.

"Companies that have a bad economic record will be rewarded with free money and those which have tried to manage their businesses as well as possible would be punished," said Finnair spokesman Christer Haglund.