Strasbourg, 26/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - The Parliament this week adopted the second reading report by Paolo Costa (ALDE, Italy) on joint civil aviation security rules, reaffirming the position it took up on first reading, and, so, disagreed with the Council on who should pay for security measures and on the transparency of the cost of air tickets. It is expected that the conciliation procedure will be opened in the coming weeks.
In the report adopted on 25 April, the Parliament stresses the need to make a clear distinction between joint basic security standards, such as those set out in the Commission's draft regulation, and stricter security measures that member states could apply on the basis of an assessment of specific risks. The Parliament accepted the recommendation of its transport committee (see EUROPE 9406) and called on member states themselves to meet the costs of stricter security measures than those laid down in the regulation.
The cost of applying basic standards, however, should be met by member states and users jointly, the EP says. The Council, unwilling to accept that a technical regulation decide on matters of financing, will not submit its position on this issue to the Parliament before next week, prior to opening the conciliation procedure in the following weeks.
In its report, the Parliament also calls for increased transparency on the price of air tickets, so that they clearly indicate airport and on-board security charges. MEPs say that, if these charges are included in the price of a plane ticket, they should appear as separate items on the ticket or should be made available to the traveller in some other way.
The same level of transparency should apply to security taxes and fees, whether they are raised by member states, air carriers or other bodies. According to the Parliament, they should not, in any event, exceed the cost of the implementation of joint basic standards and should be used solely to meet airport or on-board security costs.
The Parliament also accepted its transport committee's recommendation on implementing measures relating to the regulation in question. It wants these measures to expire six months after coming into force, though it will be possible for them to be extended, but only after an in-depth assessment of safety risks and a re-assessment of their cost and practical effect.
The Parliament also gave its backing to the general ban on carrying weapons on board aeroplanes, apart from persons responsible for security on board planes, better known as Sky Marshals. Airlines can, therefore, use armed security officers on board their planes, on condition that they have been granted the prior approval of the states of departure, arrival and, where appropriate, any state which is over flown or where intermediate stops are made, as well as by the state granting the operating licence. (aby)
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