EU to Ease Rules on Duty-Free Liquids

The European Union is introducing new measures aimed at cutting down on the amount of duty-free booze and perfume confiscated for security reasons from air passengers arriving in Europe. Last year, the EU initiated heightened security measures in the wake of a terrorist attempt in Britain, restricting air passengers to carrying only small containers of liquids or gels in sealed plastic bags. The measure has meant that those leaving an EU airport have had their vodka bottle and aerosols dumped at check-in. For those arriving from outside the EU, the situation has been more confusing, as they are allowed to board a plane in New York, for example, with larger bottles in their bags but will still face confiscation upon arrival. Under the new European Commission rules, passengers traveling from countries where "good levels of aviation security" can be verified, will be exempted from the confiscations. The first decisions on exemptions are expected in the autumn of this year. "We must strike the right balance between rigorous aviation security and the convenience of passengers," said Jacques Barrot, vice-president of the commission responsible for transport policy. “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.” A EU spokesman was unable to put a figure on the amount of goods seized or destroyed since the tighter security rules were introduced. Rules for flights from EU airports will remain in effect.