Brussels, 09/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - The ban on taking liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) of more than 100ml on board aeroplanes could be lifted within a year. However, current events and increased vigilance in the face of the terrorist threat could cause the Commission to delay this move.
A first relaxation of the LAGs rules on planes took place a year ago, with the end to checks on sealed purchases made in third country airports. Following evaluation of the situation and of airport capacity in terms of new state-of-the-art scanners, the Commission was looking to fully end LAGs screening in January 2016. This aim could be cast into doubt, however, with the increased terrorist threat. At the end of the month, the Commission could put amendments to the member states bringing in changes to carry-on baggage screening requirements, tailoring them to new threats, a European source has suggested.
In any case, the Commission says that, together with the member states, it is closely watching developments in relation to threats from terrorist groups. “Like in the past it will continue to adjust security measures whenever necessary in order to ensure the highest possible safety for air passengers”, the Commission has said, stating that “all security measures adopted by the Commission are and will continue to be proportionate to the risk they address”. (MD)