Brussels, 02/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 2 December, EU transport ministers gave the go-ahead to increasing safety checks for air freight as recommended in the report by the high level expert group on 25 November (see EUROPE 10264). Meeting in Council, ministers hailed the group's report and called on the Commission to implement the action plan recommended by the group. The suggested approach involves both toughening and harmonising existing security measures at international level. The expert group will meet once again on 13 December to take forward implementation of the recommended measures. Under the timetable set out in the action plan, measures improving security for mail and freight sent by air from non-EU countries should be adopted by March 2011. In the course of that year, the group will examine the possibility of extending the senders' validation scheme (which currently applies at European level) to companies based in non-EU countries. The action plan also provides for enhancing, by 2013 at the latest, and updating scanning technology. It also makes provision for joint testing arrangements for scanning equipment and for their inclusion in the current legal framework. The action plan allows, too, for development of joint training programmes for security staff and for improving security inspection. (A.By./transl.rt)