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ACI Europe welcomes the goal of the new Commission proposal to harmonise security standards at all EU airports and to give the force of law to the security recommendations outlined in ECAC Document 30. However, while the aims of the new Proposal are laudable, ACI Europe`s concern lies with the financing of these new measures.
Governments have an inescapable responsibility to ensure the highest level of security for their citizens at airports and on board aircraft. Yet within the European Union, the financing of anti-terrorist security for air transport currently differs from country to country and between transport modes. While the security cost is borne by the government in some states, it is paid for by a special departure tax in other states, and financed directly by air transport operators in others. There is thus no level playing field. This unsatisfactory situation has been further heightened by the substantial expenditure required for an extensive range of additional anti-terrorist security measures in the wake of the attacks on the United States.
Claudio Boccardo, President, ACI Europe said: The cost of implementing all security measures, not just those additional measures recently proposed in Europe, must now also be covered by national governments. The security issue demands a harmonised approach in the European Union. This requires Member State governments to undertake coordinated action in drawing up a comprehensive policy for financing and guaranteeing the highest level of security possible for air travel. European Union governments must recognise that the cost of security threatens to deepen the financial crisis presently faced by civil aviation in Europe. This was already well understood by the US administration which has released USD 3 billion to the air transport sector in order to finance the cost of new security measures.
We urge the Commission and the Member States to address, as a matter of urgency, the question of the responsibility of financing European civil aviation anti-terrorist security. This important issue demands a uniform approach across the European Union. European airports call upon Member State governments to undertake co-ordinated action in drawing up a comprehensive policy for financing and guaranteeing the highest level of security possible for their citizens.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
