Brussels, 20/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - At a time when Belgium and the European airport system are causing concern and coming in for criticism after failings in the terrorist attacks of 22 March, the latest European Commission report on European civil aviation security, published in July 2015, says that the level of airport security is very satisfactory.
According to the report, 25 initial inspections of airport security were carried out by the European Commission in 2014. The overall percentage of core measures found to be in compliance with European legislation was 81%. Of the remaining 19%, deficiencies were found to stem mainly from human error, mainly occurring in the areas of screening and aircraft security as well as in the implementation of certain cargo security requirements, the Commission says, recommending increased training and supervision. It goes on to welcome the general improvements found, which can be explained by increased awareness following information campaigns and revision of some legislative arrangements.
It should be noted that the figures published do not mean that 81% of airports were given a positive appraisal and 19% a negative but that deficiencies were found in several airports, the exact number of which was not given.
In the same year, and in accordance with Article 13 of Regulation 72/2010 which sets out procedures for conducting inspections in the field of aviation security, the Commission also carried out four follow-up inspections, after serious deficiencies were identified. All were positive, the Commission says, though two required close monitoring of the rectification process for a limited number of shortcomings that persisted.
Lastly, nine national civil aviation security authorities were inspected in 2014. These showed “significant” improvements from previous inspections, the report says, while nonetheless noting the existence of “minor discrepancies in the full alignment of the National Aviation Security Programmes and limitations in the implementation of the National Quality Control Programmes”. Here the report says that the deficiencies relate, in the first instance, to insufficient monitoring of known suppliers of airport and in-flight supplies “mainly due to a lack of resources resulting from the pressure on public budgets”.
This explanation was echoed in the Zaventem airport scandal following the 22 March attacks, when the Commission flagged up the airport's security failings resulting from insufficient human and financial resources, according to the media (see EUROPE 11533). The media clamour around the Belgian airport was criticised by the Airports Council International Europe (ACI-Europe) in a press release published on Tuesday 19 April. ACI points out that the security audit report leaked to the press was not an audit of the aviation security conditions at Brussels Airport but relates to the oversight capabilities of the relevant Belgian authority.
Between 2004 and 2014, the Commission has carried out some 348 inspections in the member states, with 38 taking place in 2014. In Belgium, over that period, 14 inspections have been conducted, one of which was in 2014. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)