EU to tighten aviation security after failed terrorist attack[fr][de] 

A proposal to amend existing regulation on aviation security was already put forward by the Commission in September 2005, with the aim of harmonising current aviation security rules and to introduce new measures on in-flight security. In its first reading of the proposal, the European Parliament voted in favour of placing armed air marshals on certain flights, as suggested by the Commission (see EurActiv 20 June 2006). The proposal is to be examined by the Council of Transport Ministers on 12 October 2006. 

Following the discovery of the recent attempt to attack aircrafts departing from the UK, British Home Secretary John Reid, current EU President Finland and future Presidencies Germany, Portugal, France and Slovenia, met with EU anti-terror coordinator Gijs de Vries and Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini on 16 August 2006 and agreed to step-up efforts to combat terrorism. 

Proposals discussed at the meeting include the tightening of hand-luggage checks in airports, better information exchange and tighter screening of passengers, financing research on tracing commercial detonators and liquid explosives, the blocking of some websites and teaching European values to Muslim preachers. 

A meeting on air transport security will be organised by the Commission on 6 and 7 September. 

The 7 July bombings in London one year earlier pushed counter-terrorism up to the top of the EU agenda, but the adoption of many priority measures has been delayed because of the need for unanimous voting in the Council. The Commission is currently trying to persuade member states to give up their veto powers in the area of criminal justice so as to help with the anti-terrorism effort (see EurActiv 29 June 2006). 

UK Home Secretary John Reid stressed the importance of uniform security measures across the Union, saying: "It's very important that the measures that are taken in one country are reflected in other countries because we want equal security for all our countries."

Commission Vice President Franco Frattini has said that he will present concrete measures to all EU ministers in September, which will likely include proposals for an improved system of passenger screening: "We could explore positive profiling for passengers, allowing them to be checked well in advance in order to make quicker and easier the controls on board," he said. Biometric identifiers could also be introduced to help accelerate the identification of passengers using their fingerprints or irises. 

His spokesman Roscam Abbing added that this idea appealed because participation would be strictly voluntary and it would reduce the need for other types of "negative profiling" - established by a person's appearance or behaviour. 

Current EU President Finland says that it will make aviation security a top priority and has called for the current proposal to strengthen aviation security to be approved as soon as possible by the European Parliament and Council. 

The Association of European Airlines stressed that security measures must remain risk-based, saying: “What passengers do not want is political actionism which does nothing to enhance the already high security levels.” It also urged governments to help airlines in implementing and financing security measures. 

No-frills airline Ryanair went a step further, threatening to claim compensation from the UK government if airport security measures were not rapidly restored to normal. It estimates that the disruption to flight schedules have cost up to £2million. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "If they allow these restrictions to stay in place, then the government will have handed the extremists an enormous PR victory." 

But, a spokesperson from the UK’s Department for Transport insisted that the tough new security measures will remain at UK airports for now: "We have no intention of compromising security levels nor do we anticipate changing our requirements in the next seven days."