Brussels, 29/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 28 May, the European Commission announced that it had referred Germany to the EU Court of Justice for failing to regularly monitor all aviation security measures at some German airports.
Inspections by the Commission have shown that Germany does not comply “with the minimum frequency and the scope of controls required under EU legislation” as stipulated in Regulation 300/2008 on civil aviation security.
European legislation includes a series of common security measures applicable in all member states and all national and regional airports. The regulation seeks to prevent any criminal acts being carried out, particularly armed terrorist attacks or those using explosives in airports or on aircraft. It also calls for airport access controls, inspections, passenger, baggage, freight and mail screening.
The Commission permanently monitors the application of security measures in European airports. Member states are legally obliged to provide quality monitoring and control systems, including using authorised agents and known forwarding consigners. The Commission's concerns relate to the quality of the controls in Germany and the security measures used by the airports and not the airports themselves.
The Commission notified Germany that certain failings had been detected during an inspection carried out at the end of 2012. Noting that Germany had still failed to comply, the Commission sent the country a letter of formal notice of July 2014, followed by a reasoned opinion in November 2014, before referring it to the European Court of Justice. According to one European source, the Commission has high hopes that Germany will comply very soon.
This infringement procedure does not, however, have any link to the A320 crash on the Germanwings aircraft last March, according to assurances provided by Jakub Adamowics, the European Commission spokesperson for transport policy. (Pascal Hansens)