Strasbourg, 15/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted the report by the British Conservative, Jacqueline Foster, retaining the amendments calling on the Member States to finance new air safety measures, imposed after last 11 September. The parliamentarians also followed their rapporteur, when hoping that the checks on the implementation of the measures be made in an unannounced manner. They moved in favour of the postponing for one year, until December 2003, of the implementation of certain measures to check the holds. The Amendments on this point, reintroduced in second reading by the EP, should be rejected by the Council and should thus lead to a conciliation procedure. The European Commissioner for Transport, Loyola de Palacio, indicated, during the debates, that she would oppose these changes.
The new regulation put forward by the Commission after the attacks of 11 September will make obligatory within the EU, the security measures defined at the pan-European level by the European civil aviation conference (CEAC). It will strengthen checks on passengers and luggage, hold luggage and freight, as well as checks on sensitive access to airports and aircraft. Moreover, it foresees the training of ground staff. The onboard security measures for planes are, on the other hand, not covered by this text, and should be the object of another Commission proposal.
During the debate, Jacqueline Foster felt that the Member States must assume their responsibilities for the additional costs, in the light of the terrorist attacks and by recognising their duty to protect citizens. Though, Commissioner Loyola de Palacio, while sympathising with the amendment put forward by the EP, which foresees that the Member States must take on a fair share of the safety programme costs, felt that the issue of financing does not stem from Article 80 of the Treaty, legal basis of the regulation. Due to this she also rejects an Amendment that calls for her to present, within six months, a report on the financing methods for the security measures. Nevertheless, she indicated that the Commission could make a separate legislative proposal on investment in the field of airline safety. The issue of State aid forms part of this area, she recalled.
The Commission also opposed the Amendments that foresee "unannounced" checks in airports, feeling that the Commission must in the least warn the national regulatory authorities to ensure their co-operation, even if the airport concerned is not informed in advance.
The parliamentarians strengthened in part the checks, feeling that the cabin staff luggage must be subjected to the same checks as that of the passengers. The experience of the attacks in Europe shows that the "lax security measures and personnel who have unfettered access in airports have played a significant part", underlined Jacqueline Foster. The EP rejected an amendment, which would have excluded from the regulations, the airports serving less than 40 passengers (instead of 20 passengers). On the other hand, it wanted to postpone until 31 December 2003, instead of 2002, the obligatory implementation of hold luggage checks, of freight, parcels and post. Commissioner de Palacio was opposed to this, underlining that the enforcement of new safety measures must not be postponed.