Brussels, 22/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - Following the double terrorist attack which rocked Belgium on Tuesday 22 March, the European Commission could shortly convene a meeting of a group of experts on civil aviation security, a source has revealed.
The Commission can call on AVSEC, an expert group on aviation security (not to be confused with aviation safety which has to do with the mechanical side of things) and could very quickly convene a meeting, according to a European source, to take stock of the attacks.
A second source has said that the European Union has an already well-provided regulatory armoury on aviation security, with Regulation 300/2008 on common rules in aviation security. This regulation puts in place a number of measures which include the screening of passengers and of luggage, and access control.
However, the same source points out that the regulation does not cover so-called “soft areas”, where security is less stringent, such as the departures hall of Brussels Airport targeted by the terrorists on Tuesday morning. The Commission might, therefore, consider this issue very shortly. Several countries have already put checks in place at the entry to airport buildings: Russia, for example, has done so after the Moscow Domodedovo Airport was the target of a similar attack in 2011. Colombia, in South America, and, in the Middle East, Israel have installed similar airport checks.
This prospect is not one that that pleases European airports. “The possible adoption of additional security measures such as checks on persons and goods entering airport landside spaces could be disruptive and actually create new security vulnerabilities. By displacing the gathering of passengers and airport visitors to spaces not designed for that purpose - such measures would essentially be moving the target rather than securing it”, warned ACI-EUROPE in advance.
The Commission has no power on urban public transport and, thus, can do nothing on the explosion on the metro train near the Maelbeek station in Brussels, the same person made clear. The Commission can make proposals only on matters concerning international rail transport. Following the failed terrorist attacks on the Thalys in August 2015 (see EUROPE 11373), the Commission called a meeting of LANDSEC, the group of security experts. The proposals brought forward were very measured, however (see EUROPE 11407), the railways being a preserve jealously guarded by the member states.
“It's still too soon to say what the Commission will or will not do”, added a European source, suggesting that a range of recommendations might be put to the member states by the Commission. “What's important is to abide by the principle of proportionality”, this source observed.
For the moment, the European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell (EACCC), a body set up by the European Commission and Eurocontrol to manage air traffic, held a meeting on Tuesday morning, after which Brussels Airport was closed, initially until midday but this was expected to be extended until the next day. All flights have been cancelled, and 50 arrivals have been re-routed to other Belgian airports. Passengers' rights are unlikely to apply as this is an exceptional case, according to the institutions. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)