"Europe Is Scrambling to Meet Airline Security Commitments"

Thursday, March 27, 2003

Europe Is Scrambling to Meet Airline Security Commitments
By DAVID CRAWFORD and DANIEL MICHAELS
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL


BERLIN -- War in Iraq is forcing the European aviation industry to
reconsider its piecemeal approach to safety, even as European authorities
scramble to meet security standards they agreed to enact after the Sept. 11,
2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S.

At a meeting Thursday of the European Union's Transportation Council,
officials will discuss how to increase airline and airport security to
assuage travelers afraid of terrorism, and how to help already-weak carriers
and airports deal with losses stemming from the war.

European aviation officials say EU airlines stand to lose at least €2.5
billion ($2.66 billion) from the Iraq war, on top of the €3.2 billion they
lost after the 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S.

The EU's goal after Sept. 11 was to standardize aviation-security practices
so terrorists couldn't exploit weaknesses in one region to undermine the
whole system. But the key question of who would pay for tighter screening of
passengers, baggage and staff at airports has been contentious, leading the
EU to put off a decision on funding until December, when it completes a
study. Indeed, the European Commission, unable to force governments to pay
for aviation security, changed tack and decided to examine the competitive
implications of funding imbalances -- a topic over which it has
jurisdiction.

Currently, some EU members, such as the U.K., make airlines pay for their
security, while in France and other countries, governments foot at least
part of the bill. Airport practices vary as well: At Brussels International
Airport and at facilities across the U.K., the airport operator is
responsible for checking baggage that goes in plane holds. At airports in
the Netherlands and Germany, the service is performed by government workers.

A spokesman for Spain's Guardia Civil says Spain's airports still use
bomb-sniffing dogs to complement limited explosive-detection systems like
those found at many other European airports . Although machines are used to
screen bags put aboard all flights to the U.S., Israel and other sensitive
locations, Spain's aviation authority says Madrid's Barajas airport will be
at 50% baggage compliance by the end of April.

The two-day meeting in Brussels comes as member states and the commission
press to meet their security commitments. By April 19, each country must
adopt a national aviation-security program, in line with EU guidelines. In
July, the commission must enforce standards for airport security in
Europe -- but it is still trying to hire and train staff. By December, the
study on funding must be completed. That's also when 100% screening of staff
and baggage will become mandatory.

But the Iraq war appears to have created a new sense of urgency about the
matter, even for a body that is driven by consensus. Earlier this week, the
Greek government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency,
suggested to European transportation ministers that member states "consider
ways of covering" the costs of enhanced security measures.

"The time is now critical for member states to look at this issue," said
Jacqueline Foster, a member of the European Parliament, who sponsored last
year's aviation-security bill and has been pushing for uniform state funding
of aviation security. "It behooves the U.K. and other countries to actually
support their industry at this critical time."

CHANGES IN THE AIR

The EU is trying to standardize security measures but has been stymied in
part by questions over who will pay for increased vigilance.

New U.S. security measures since Sept. 11:

   • 100% screening of all checked baggage

   • Hired federal security workforce to screen passengers and their luggage
at all U.S. airports

   • Ordered new background checks on airline and airport employees

   • Hardened cockpit doors on airliners

   • Increased the number of air marshals on commercial flights

Pledged EU security measures since Sept. 11:

   • 100% screening of all staff entering secure airport areas

   • 100% screening of all checked baggage

   • Standardized background screening and employment checks on airline and
airport employees

   • Introduction of EU-wide supervision of airport security on commercial
flights

Source: WSJ research


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