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EU Sets Rules on Sky Marshals

Air Safety Week, Jan 21, 2008

The European Parliament and the Council of Ministers recently put together a civil aviation security deal that goes before the full Parliament in March.

The measures deal with the costs for aviation security and deployment of Sky Marshals on European flights. Aviation security arrangements will be harmonized across the 27-nation EU, with minimum standards set for passenger safety and security.

The deal affirms an earlier compromise that the costs of aviation security will be shared among the member state governmentgs, airports air airlines. Passengers arriving from points outside the European Union that have security standards equivalent to the EU will not have to be re-screened.

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"I am glad that we found an agreement which will increase security and balance anti-terrorism measures and passenger rights," said Paolo Costa, the European Parliament's Transport Committee chairman.

The meeting marked the first time that in-flight security measures (cockpit barriers and unruly passengers) were addressed at the EU level. Parliament and the Council of Ministers agreed that those Member States that deploy Sky Marshals on board national airlines must ensure that they are "specially-selected and trained." Strict rules for Sky Marshalls were a crucial point for Parliament to resolve.

Regarding weapons carriage, the EU said "weapons must not be carried on board an aircraft...unless the requisite security conditions have been fulfilled in accordance with national laws and authorization has been given by the state involved."

Under existing rules, the EU governments are allowed to individually decide if their national airlines are allowed armed Sky Marshals on board their jetliners. As the pending rule is interpreted, Sky Marshals on flights within the EU won't be armed unless security conditions---such as a terror alert--- warrants weapons.

Government Industry

EU Sets Rules on Sky Marshals

Air Safety Week, Jan 21, 2008

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