Brussels, 03/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - Despite the problems caused to air passengers, no third country, with the exception of Singapore, has used the system of mutual recognition of airport security proposed by the European Commission in July of last year to relax rules on the carrying of liquids on board aircraft. Given this, the Airports Council International (ACI) and the European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) have called on third countries to accept European standards and on the Commission to do more to promote the proposed system. Only such action can resolve the problems of liquids confiscated from transferring flights from and to the European Union, problems caused by the new European legislation on air security, say the two organisations in a joint press release adopted on 27 February at the 17th annual ACI Europe conference.
The new European rules, adopted in response to the growing threat of terrorist attack, bans, inter alia, the carrying on board aircraft of more than 100ml of liquids (drinks, perfume, cordial, etc) per person, other than those bought in duty free shops in airports, located beyond the points where boarding cards are checked (see EUROPE 9280). The same arrangements apply in Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. As a result, transit passengers, carrying drinks or perfumes bought in non-European airports or on board non-European aeroplanes, who have to change planes in these states, have to surrender these liquids when going through security scanning. The same procedure applies for passengers travelling from the EU, and transiting through Canada, the United States or Australia. Last July, the European Commission, well aware of this problem, adopted a regulation relaxing restrictions applicable to passengers from third countries passing through EU airports, on condition that security standards in the airport from which they left were equivalent to those in force in the EU. This mutual recognition of security is to be determined on a case-by-case basis following checks by European experts (see EUROPE 9480). However, of the considerable number of states operating flights to the EU, only Singapore has hitherto taken advantage of this possibility (see EUROPE 9564). The others, for political reasons (some will not agree to checks being carried out by EU experts) or through lack of interest, have not sought to join the European scheme. As a result, large quantities of liquids are being confiscated every day, and, for the most part, destroyed. “Despite the massive campaign to inform passengers since October 2006, the amounts of liquids surrendered at European airports remains significant and shows no sign of falling,” said Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe Director General, in the press release. He added that, at Munich airport, “a ton of liquids per day” is being confiscated, with over 45% having been bought in duty free shops. Jankovec went on, “We are very appreciative of the European Commission's hard work in providing the legal solution to this problem, but what we need now is a renewed commitment for implementation from the EU and especially from the third countries concerned. This is the only way to ease increasing passenger frustration and the extraordinary waste generated by the current security regime,” he said. ETRC President Frank O'Connell said that it was “absolutely imperative” that third countries subscribe to the mutual recognition scheme proposed by the Commission. “At the same time, we believe it is the European Commission's responsibility to actively promote this new regulation,” he went on. (A.By.)