Brussels, 16/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - European transport ministers will discuss the question of security in transport, particularly urban transport, in the morning of Friday 15 April during the second day of the combined meeting of transport and environment ministers in Amsterdam (see separate article).
This point was added to the agenda following the attacks in Belgium on 22 March (see EUROPE 11522). The subject was also addressed at a meeting of the group of experts on land transport security (LANDSEC) on Monday 11 April, where no decisions were taken. Proposals and urban public transport security options were simply discussed, with intervention from IUTP, the European intelligent urban transport promotor.
A European source says that a number of sources were put forwards. Firstly, some mentioned putting doors in metro trains to block the blast of explosions, rather like fire doors. This solution, however, appears costly and disproportionate, conceded the source, and therefore has little change of being selected by the ministers.
Other proposals seem to follow on directly from what the same group decided in October 2015 after the failed attacks on a Thalys train (see EUROPE 11407). The experts discussed installing CCTV systems directly connected with data processing centres connected to the intelligence services. Having surveillance agents at the entrance to sensitive stations during the rush hour was also raised, which the source said would be a 'sixth sense option.' The agents could carry out spot checks, stopping and searching suspicious individuals coming into stations who are believed to potentially pose a risk.
At the European institutions, people explain that a number of problems may hamstring ambitions. The European Union does not have any powers when it comes to urban transport, which remain in national hands. The member states are divided into two groups. Those particularly exposed to the terrorist threat (France, Belgium and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom and Germany) one the one hand, and the other member states, which don't want to get involved in costly security-boosting measures. Finally, the question of the Brexit referendum in the UK on 23 June seems to be casting cold water on any action that could feed the cause of those wanting the UK to leave the European Union. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)