Brussels, 03/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Belgian EU Council Presidency hopes to reach an agreement between the Parliament and the Council so that the regulation strengthening security checks in European airports may be adopted in a single reading and take effect as swiftly as possible. The regulation had been proposed by the Commission after the attacks on 11 September, in order to transpose into Community law the recommendations made by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC). The Parliament took a stance at first reading on 29 December with adoption of the report by Jacqueline Foster (British Conservative), and the Council is expected to do so on Friday 7 December. MEPs have introduced several amendments aimed mainly at ensuring that the cost of safety measures are borne by the States and that the Commission will ensure proposals are presented to harmonise the arrangements for financing such measures. The Member Sates are somewhat reticent in this respect, but meetings between the Council, Parliament and Commission representatives at the beginning of last week made one think that an agreement between the two legislators is possible. The points of divergence within the Council mainly concern the bearing of the financial cost of such measures, the transitional system for small airports and the methods for monitoring correct application of these measures. "We hope to rapidly end the procedure so that measures taken may take effect as soon as possible, even if all the work has not been completed", it is said at the Presidency.