EU prepares tighter cargo screening measures

The European Union will tighten security rules for air cargo arriving from outside the bloc, but it remains uncertain whether new resources will be made available to help combat the emerging threat, reported The Wall Street Journal.

EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said that he would present to transport ministers from the 27 member countries proposals for new steps to ensure that air freight from outside the EU meets the same tight screening standards as cargo loaded at European airports. If the proposals are accepted, as expected, they should take effect early next year, he said.

Kallas said his proposals would include new legislation to expand existing inspection laws to cover non-EU air cargo; an increase in intelligence sharing; and greater coordination through the United Nations' air regulator, the International Civil Aviation Organization. ICAO members recently pledged to boost cooperation on cargo security.

Under EU rules since 2004, member countries conduct security inspections under the oversight of officials from the European Commission, the EU's executive arm. Freight flying within the EU and to the US is inspected very closely, while cargo to other regions faces varying degrees of scrutiny.

Freight coming from outside the bloc is screened based on standards set by carriers and the country of origin. The EU will now require that all cargo entering the bloc meet specific screening standards.

The move follows an international security alert on October 30, when terrorists based in Yemen managed to get explosive devices onto US-bound flights in packages that were transferred in Germany and the United Kingdom. The bombs were located and removed before they left Europe, thanks to an informant's tip.

Since the incident, some politicians in Europe and the US have said all air cargo should be inspected, but Kallas said screening 100 percent of freight would be impractical. "We should not fall into the trap of overreacting," he said. "That would be a victory for our enemies."

A spokesman for the Association of European Airlines, which represents many of the EU's biggest carriers, said the group was positive on the announcement.

The EU wants to make greater use of electronic Customs data that is already supplied, said Radoslaw Olszewski, a European Commission official handling aviation security.

Cargo inspection can be quite labour-intensive, partly because few scanners exist to vet large freight containers. Industry officials have complained that Europe lacks a sufficient number of inspectors to handle the volume of cargo being shipped by air.

The US Transportation Security Administration has more than 500 cargo inspectors. Far fewer inspectors cover the EU, although a precise number is not public.

Kallas said the new rules will stress prioritising threats rather than recruiting armies of inspectors. "We should make a proper risk-assessment and devote our resource where they are needed most," Kallas said. "At this first stage, we will work with the resources we have," he added.
(Source:www.cargonewsasia.com)