The European Union and United Nations are preparing new guidelines and recommendations for cargo security after October’s toner bomb incident.
The changes proposed by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concentrate on “supply-chain security,” where outbound shipments are checked before they reach their departure airport. A draft of new guidelines will go out to all 190-member countries of the United Nations in the next few weeks, the agency says.
European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas said the EU package, similarly aimed at member states, would include more stringent rules on air freight screening, but warned that the EU should not fall into the trap of overreacting with new across-the-board screening and control procedures.
“That would paralyze both the aviation industry and our economies, which rely on fast and reliable air cargo services,” he said. “That would be a victory for our opponents, who would probably still find another loophole somewhere.”
Governments worldwide are increasingly worried about cargo security, after militants based in Yemen tried to blow up cargo jets with bombs hidden in toner cartridges in October, reported by The Recycler here.
The ICAO writes standards that allow planes to fly easily from one country to another, and, while not legally binding, the agency’s recommendations are usually incorporated into U.N. member states’ aviation laws.
Member countries must now ratify the two treaties, processes that could take months or years to be concluded.