EU states clash with MEPs over new security measures
RENATA GOLDIROVA
21.11.2007 @ 09:26 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The European Union has failed to strike a deal on common aircraft security measures, including the idea of having armed sky marshals on flights across the 27-nation bloc.
On Tuesday (20 November), all three EU institutions - the council representing member states, the parliament and the commission - kicked off a process known as conciliation, which is aimed at thrashing out their differences over the draft regulation.
The biggest disagreement centres around who should pay the bill for additional security measures, whether to make such measures permanent or temporary as well as whether MEPs should have a strong say in this area.
"There is a deadlock", German centre-right MEP Georg Jarzembowski, negotiating on the parliament's behalf, told EUobserver after the first round of conciliatory talks.
He added that "the council is not really moving to take any responsibility" for the costs of security measures.
According to the European Parliament, the costs should be shared by passengers and member states, but if a government wants to impose even more stringent measures, it should cover the whole bill.
The council however says all costs should be borne by the airlines industry, which would almost certainly pass the extra burden on to passengers.
The lawmakers argue that safety is a "core competence of the governments", citing an example of policemen at a football match, who are paid through a national budget, not by football clubs or fans.
Similarly, EU states are reluctant to grant MEPs a say over the technical implementation of the new rules - something that would have a great impact on whether those rules would be limited in scope or duration.
For example, the parliament requires that security measures, such as the ban on carrying liquids on board, should expire after 18 months, unless a thorough re-evaluation of the security risks means they are needed.
MEPs also suggest strict oversight of in-flight security officers known as sky marshals. They should be well-trained, have specific authorisation to carry weapons and no country should be obliged to accept them, unless the competent national security authorities consider it necessary.
The committee now has six to eight weeks to reach the final wording on a "joint text."
But Mr Jarzembowski was sceptical about the prospects of a deal given the "slow pace" of the Portuguese EU presidency. "They are not very engaged in finding a solution", he said.