EU calls aviation security talks
14.08.06 @ 15:26
The EU is to hold two meetings on internal and aviation security following last week's revelations of a suspected terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic flights from the UK to the US.
The talks will take place in London and will look at the impact of last week's events (Photo: Wikipedia.org)
On Wednesday (16 August), justice commissioner Franco Frattini and interior ministers from Finland - as the current EU presidency - Germany, Portugal and Slovenia - as the upcoming EU presidencies - are to gather in London to assess the possible impact of the thwarted terror plans on EU security legislation.
Two days later, transport experts from the 25 member states will meet in Brussels to discuss air security.
According to a commission spokesperson, the meeting will be to "assess last week's events" and to look at its impact on "current EU legislation".
The meeting would be attended by experts of a "high senior civil service level".
Speaking last week, Finnish state secretary Kari Salmi said "the aim is that experts will go through the situation in aviation security. Are the regulations in place? Are communications, both on EU and national level, synchronised?"
The move comes after UK intelligence services last Thursday (10 August) made public suspected terrorist plans to blow up as many as ten airplanes on route to the US from the UK.
The UK has downgraded its terror threat from "critical" to "severe" but home secretary John Reid said an attack was still "highly likely."
The news of the foiled plot put the rest of Europe on a security alert with airports from Rome to Warsaw stepping up their security measures.
It has also prompted renewed talks about EU-level anti-terrorist legislation.
After the 9/11 attacks in 2001 in the US, the EU introduced a wave of compulsory basic security checks and screening at airports - member state are free, however, to introduce stricter measures if needed.
