Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-02-10-Speech-3-512"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20100210.29.3-512"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Mr President, we are here to present a combined view on certain aspects in the fight against terrorism. My priority as Transport Commissioner is definitely the safety and security of passengers. This is a major priority for our common transport policy and this is always extremely important.
The attempted terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines flight 253 to Detroit on 25 December has again confirmed the reality of the threat to civil aviation. I would like to stress that existing EU standards on aviation security were correctly implemented on 25 December at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.
The incident showed first of all the failure of intelligence, a failure ‘to connect the dots’. Aviation remains a target for terrorists. We cannot ignore this fact. Aviation security must therefore be guaranteed by all appropriate means, in full compliance with fundamental rights.
The travelling public, the media and aviation stakeholders all legitimately ask us whether the existing security arrangements are good enough, or whether we need to take further action. In this regard, the new screening technologies, the so-called ‘body scanners’, are discussed everywhere today.
Regarding the use of body scanners at airports, aviation security experts are of the opinion that these machines have better detection capacity than current screening equipment. Some think that they are considerably better. Some think that this is not such a big advance, but how big the added value of these machines is to airport security and what the consequences are for health and privacy is not yet entirely clear today.
As noted previously by Parliament in 2008, the use of body-imaging technology raises a number of questions, notably in relation to privacy, data protection and health. I intend to present to you in April a report on imaging technology and its use at EU airports. This report will address the questions raised in the European Parliament resolution of 2008.
We need to look at these questions seriously. We also need to make up our minds on whether these concerns are better addressed at national or European level. To my mind, an EU framework would be better. I say this based on our experience of a common approach since 9/11 and with a view to the efficiency of the single market for aviation. An EU framework guarantees uniform standards in relation both to security and to respect for individual rights.
Finally, I would like to underline that airport security is a much larger question than the introduction of a new screening technology. To fight terrorism targeting civil aviation, we need a large variety of combined and coordinated measures – intelligence, profiling, different search methods and international cooperation. As the Minister just said, terrorists develop. We must develop as well, and body scanners are only one element in this variety.
I look forward to your views and thank you for your attention."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples