EU security and aviation experts met today to consider recommending stricter measures for airport security, with particular focus on hand-luggage and the threat posed by liquid explosives.
The expert meeting, which follows discussions with airline and airport officials last week, was prompted by a recent alleged plot to bomb US-bound planes from Britain in mid-flight.
British authorities announced last month that they had foiled an alleged plot to blow up US-bound airliners using liquid explosives smuggled aboard in drink bottles or other containers.
Two dozen people were arrested and Britain raised its terror alert level to critical - the highest of five levels, and heightened security restrictions at British airports, leading to numerous cancellations and long delays.
The European Commission reacted by saying it would propose new anti-terror measures to detect explosives, share information on airline passengers and train Muslim preachers in European values.
European Commission Security Commissioner Franco Frattini also proposed that EU member states take up the example of the US, Canada and Australia in sharing information about airline passengers.
The experts meeting in Brussels were expected to announce their recommendations after their meeting ends on Thursday.
Emergency bans on hand luggage and liquids are unlikely in the long-term to survive beyond the critical, uncertain period as police smashed an alleged bomb-making operation in London three weeks ago.
The commission, according to officials, is moving towards giving all EU manufactured explosive components a unique chemical fingerprint which would allow the police to trace explosives after bomb attacks or the seizure of explosives.
Germany, which assumes the EU presidency next year, is already examining proposals to shut down or monitor Internet sites suspected of providing technology tips to would-be terrorists.
The issue of air security has been higher on the EU agenda since the 9/11 attacks in the United States five years ago.
A European Commission spokesman for transport issues stressed that the Brussels meeting was aimed at recommending to the commission durable security measures which could be taken on a long-term basis, rather than the kind of heightened alert emergency measures since at London's Heathrow and elsewhere following last month's alleged plot.
