Brussels, 24/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - Industrial circles explain that the United States has misgivings about the European Commission's decision to gradually lift the restrictions on liquids in air passengers' hand baggage. In line with a decision taken by the Commission in February 2011, the process is due to start on 29 April 2011, when transit passengers alighting from flights outside the EU in EU airports and then taking flights to other countries will be allowed to take liquids (duty-free drinks, gel and aerosol cans) with them bought when they took their first flight (see EUROPE 9280 and 10080). At present, any such duty-free goods are confiscated when they arrive at an airport in the EU (apart from flights from Singapore, Malaysia and Croatia, which have signed special security deals with the EU). Once the decision comes into force, transit passengers will be allowed to keep the duty-free products they have bought as long as they agree to let the products be scanned. The United States is expected to submit its official line on this early next month, but industry sources suggest that the US is not happy about the reliability of scanning equipment used in the EU.
EU airports say that the scanners used in the EU are sufficiently reliable to ensure high security and meet passenger expectations. The use of scanners would increase the time taken queuing at security checkpoints and therefore cause bottlenecks and delays. In a position paper published in January, the International Airport Council (ACI-Europe) said that current technology is not developed enough to allow a lifting of the restrictions on the carrying of liquids in hand baggage. It criticises the number of false alarms (25% according to media reports in Europe) using equipment used in the EU and says this would cause chaos for passengers. (A.By./transl.fl)