Today (July 31) the Commission adopted a regulation to address the disruption faced by air passengers who arrive from third countries carrying duty free liquids bought abroad and who wish to transfer at an EU airport. At present, any quantity of liquid bought outside the EU that is greater than the limited amounts currently permitted in hand-baggage must be abandoned at the EU airport since there is no way of checking that it has been subject to similar security standards as liquids on sale in EU airports.
The Regulation will allow the Commission to verify whether equivalent standards are applied in a third country and whether the overall standard of aviation security is satisfactory, thereby allowing liquids bought in duty free shops there to be allowed on aircraft in the EU. This will allow transit passengers arriving from these countries to carry their purchases onto their internal EU flight.
"We must strike the right balance between rigorous aviation security and the convenience of passengers. This new regulation is a step in the right direction. It paves the way for getting rid of unnecessary disruption for transit passengers who are arriving from airports outside the EU that have been found to apply equally strict aviation security standards as regards liquids as we do." stated Jacques Barrot, Vice-president of the Commission responsible for transport policy
In response to the emerging threat of liquid explosives to air transport, last October the Commission adopted a regulation prohibiting passengers from carrying more than fixed quantities of liquids in their cabin baggage past screening points and on-board aircraft. Some exemptions are allowed, for instance for medicines or baby foods, but not for other liquids bought in airports in third countries.
The result is that passengers arriving from third countries and transferring at Community airports are not allowed to take liquids bought in third country airports on board connecting flights when they change planes at an EU airport but have to leave them behind at the airport where they transfer. This annoys passengers and complicates screening.
The new Commission regulation makes exemptions to the prohibition legally possible for liquids bought in airport shops in third countries. But this is conditional on good levels of aviation security at these airports to be verified by the Commission on a case-by-case basis. If the Commission considers the security measures applied by third countries in relation to liquids as equivalent and the country also applies satisfactory overall standards of aviation security, the Commission will decide to grant exemptions. The first decisions on exemptions are expected in the autumn of this year. -Europa.eu
