European Union member countries agreed on Monday to tighten aviation security measures after bombs were found in air cargo bound for the United States. Home affairs ministers meeting in Brussels set up an expert group to prepare specific recommendations that may include drawing up a list of "unsafe" airports, as proposed by Germany.
In recent weeks, parcel bombs have been sent from Yemen to targets in the United States, and by militants in Greece to embassies and EU governments, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office. Belgium, which holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year, said the threat of further attacks required a co-ordinated approach.
"If you look at what happened in recent weeks, it is fair to say there is still a threat. We have been lucky the attacks were successfully thwarted," Belgian Home Affairs Minister Annemie Turtelboom told reporters after the meeting. The expert group will draw up proposals by December 2 to be discussed by EU transport and interior ministers. Last week, EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas urged a proportionate approach to air cargo screening to avoid stifling trade.
Germany proposed additional measures such as increased co-ordination of security checks and a blacklist of airports. Turtelboom said the expert group would look into the possibility of drawing up a security checklist for airports but that there was no agreement on whether to create a blacklist. "We are going to see who can help airports in non-EU countries ... give them a checklist or a risk analysis to determine which airport is clean," she said.