EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS, EC PLAN AIR SAFETY MEASURES

EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS, EC PLAN AIR SAFETY MEASURES    The European Commission said on Tuesday that it and European Union member states are working on several urgent initiatives to address the issues of terrorist attacks and the air transport sector.
   “The European air transport sector was hit head on by the attacks in New York and Washington of Sept. 11,” the EC said.
   The European Union responded immediately by looking at the most urgent questions and at adapting current rules to the new situation, it added.
   On the safety issue, the European Council held an extraordinary meeting on Sept. 21 and instructed the council of transport ministers to adopt new measures concerning the classification of weapons, technical training for crews, the inspection of luggage, the protection of access to the cockpit and the monitoring of safety measures implemented by national states.
   The council of transport ministers of the EU is expected to adopt a common policy on safety on Oct. 15, following a proposal made by the EC.
   The EC said that it will soon make further proposals on the inspection of passengers and their luggage. These measures will be prepared by an ad hoc group that met on Sept. 21 and will report to the council of transport ministers of Oct. 15 and 16.
   The EC also said that its common policy will be presented to the International Civil Aviation Organization inter-government meeting scheduled on Sept. 26 in Montreal.
   “This program aims to develop a body of compulsory international rules on safety, to make those rules apply to international and domestic flights, and finally to ensure the implementation of those rules,” the EC said.
   Loyola de Palacio, the European commissioner in charge of transport and energy, met the president of the Association of European Airlines to assess the economic problems of airlines resulting from the terrorist attacks.
   De Palacio said that the EC prohibits state aid, and said that it would rule out “measures that would cause distortions between states and between airlines.” However, the EC commissioner agreed to consider potential “compensation measures.” She said that the bulk of costs concerning safety should be borne by governments.
   The airlines told de Palacio that they have “worries concerning the behavior of insurance companies,” the EC said.
   To enable airlines to continue to operate properly under the revised insurance conditions, certain governments have committed to provide complementary guarantees to the airlines, the EC said.