[JURIST] No proof exists that the CIA used secret prisons in eastern Europe for terror suspects, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana [official profile] said Tuesday. Solana, the high representative for common foreign and security policy in the EU, also told the European Parliament [official website] that he lacked the power to investigate the rendition [JURIST news archive] allegations, which first surfaced in the media last fall. According to Solana, an investigation into the claims can only be opened by the European Commission [official website] or as a result of a joint request by a third of EU member states. Solana's powers are limited under the EU charter, as he is not a formal foreign minister. Some MEPs argued that Solana could question member states about the issue.

Italian MEP Giovanni Claudio Fava [official website] issued an interim report [JURIST report] last week that the CIA has transported terror suspects on more than 1,000 flights over European territory. EU terrorism chief Gijs de Vries [BBC profile] has said the existence of the prisons cannot be proven [JURIST report]. Reuters has more.