Parliament wants liquid ban on planes eased[de] 

The European Parliament adopted, on 5 September 2007, a Resolution calling on the Commission to urgently review the liquids ban and "if no further conclusive facts are brought forward, to repeal [it]". 

According to MEPs, "the costs engendered by the regulation may not be proportionate to the added value achieved by additional security provisions". 

They urge the Commission and member states to instead focus on research aimed at developing effective tools for detecting dangerous materials. 

While the deputies stress they are in favour of tight security measures against terrorist risks, they say these must be "realistically designed". 

They also attack the secrecy surrounding the Commission's aviation security Regulation – which even MEPs have not been allowed to view in its entirety. 

The Commission has already said that it is working to limit the inconvenience caused by the Regulation, notably by enabling air passengers from third countries who have bought duty free liquids abroad and are crossing the EU to retain their purchases, so long as their home country applies equivalent aviation-security standards. 

The EU executive is expected to announce the first exemptions this Autumn. 

ALDE MEP Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, who originally tabled a written question on the ban to the Commission said: "We have been calling upon the European Commission to ensure that the security measures in place are efficient, well balanced and implemented in a reasonable manner for passengers, airlines and airports. The measures restricting liquids aboard aircrafts do not seem to correspond to any of these criteria. The Commission has to come up with a better regulation. Exaggerations should not rule daily life of European citizens!" 

Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg is among those MEPs who want the liquids ban scrapped. "There is currently no scientific proof whatsoever that the ban on liquids in the hand-luggage of air passengers contributes to the stated goal…The measure creates an appearance of security and is more aimed at putting passengers' minds at rest. But if you cannot explain properly why the rule is there, you just have to put an end to it." 

But Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot defended the measure, saying that, while he was "aware of the inconvenience caused for passengers…events in recent months in the United Kingdom and in recent days in Denmark and Germany show that the terrorist threat in Europe remains real". 

He stressed that the liquids-ban regulation is the only instrument that Europe has at present to respond to the new threat represented by liquid explosives. 

"A blunt repeal would be a risk that I am not prepared to make passengers carry," he said, adding: "Nor do I wish to take the risk of exposing the aviation sector to the economic consequences of an attack, which would bear no comparison with the costs of the procedures that have been implemented to avoid one." 

He also stressed that the Commission was working actively to develop new technologies capable of detecting dangerous liquids. 

British Socialist David Martin agreed he was "slightly surprised at the ferocity of the attacks by some of my colleagues on this system". His colleague, Socialist Group Transport Spokesman Brian Simpson said Labour MEPs were concerned that MEPs were "going soft on terrorism" and "failing to protect the travelling public". 

"There is a problem with regard to transit duty-free products that are being confiscated at EU airports if passengers are flying to another EU airport. But this problem can be solved without repealing the existing legislation. To call for repeal...is showing a total disregard for the safety of passengers and completely ignores professional advice."