Ministers from a number of EU member states held a telephone discussion with US Secretary of State of Homeland Security John Kelly on Friday 12 May over the ban on laptops on board aeroplanes.
No information had yet filtered out on Friday afternoon on either the content of the call or the identity of the ministers. Speaking at the midday press conference on Friday, Commission transport spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said that the member states and the European Commission wanted to continue to cooperate with the United States in the area of air security.
The telephone conversation follows on from the letter sent by Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Internal Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos after EU officials learned that the American administration was planning to include EU airports on the list of those where travellers would be required to place laptops in the cargo hold before departure. The United States has not officially announced, however, any intention to place European airports on this list. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)