Brussels, 05/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - Work is continuing at both international and European level on aviation insurance and security issues following the 11 September attacks. The ad hoc group constituted by the extraordinary Transport Council on 14 September will be meeting again in Brussels on Friday and is due to present the 16 October Transport Council with proposals to 1) increase the insurance minimum and ceiling for compensating victims of aviation incidents to the level recommended by the ECAC (European Civil Aviation Conference), in other words from 1.5 to 90 million Special Drawing Rights (SDRs); and 2) make the ECAC security audit recommendations compulsory.
In parallel, the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) is expected on Friday after its AGM to adopt a resolution on insurance including the amounts set by the ECAC, and also a resolution announcing a review of Annex 17 of the Chicago Convention on air security. The resolution will propose to apply the security rules designed for international aviation to domestic flights; make it compulsory to lock cockpit doors; and draw up an audit mechanism for the security measures taken by the ICAO's 187 members.
The ICAO AGM is expected to adopt a resolution outlining the ICAO's agreement to set up new aeroplane noise standards, known as Chapter IV. The EU still has reservations, however, wanting tighter restrictions to be imposed for night flights. The adoption of an agreement on Chapter IV at the ICAO should smooth the way for an agreement between the EU and the United States in their dispute on the outlawing of planes fitted with noise reduction devices or "hushkits".