Brussels, 11/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in plenary on 11 March, the European Parliament adopted the report by Paolo Costa (ALDE, Italy) approving the deal struck in conciliation between the Parliament and Council on 12 January this year on the proposal for a regulation to establish common norms for safeguarding civil aviation.
The compromise reached in conciliation enhances the role of the Parliament (right of scrutiny on measures for implementing the framework regulation) to open the road to establishing a so-called “one-stop” security check system and to resolve matters regarding the carriage of weapons (banned from being carried on board a plane) as well as the financing of security measures (see EUROPE 9569). Each member state may henceforth determine in what circumstances, and to what extent, the cost of security measures set out in the regulation will be met by the state, airport entities, air carriers, other responsible agencies and users. The financing of each additional security measure decided, where necessary, by a member state, will be shared between the state in question and the users. The Commission is to present a report by 31 December 2008 on financing matters. Speaking the day before the vote on behalf of the Commission, Jacques Barrot, Commission Vice-President responsible for transport, said that, on this occasion, he would present “a legislative proposal on sharing between taxpayers and users the costs entailed by the stricter measures that member states may adopt in addition to the basic norms set out in this regulation”. This proposal should, however, be preceded by an “appropriate impact assessment”. The Council adopted the regulation on 4 March. (A.By.)