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A draft European Commission regulation has in view the introduction of millimetre wave imaging scanners in airports to be used "individually or in combination, as a primary or secondary means and under defined conditions". The scanner will provide a "virtual strip search" of travellers within the EU.

The regulation is meant to be introduced in all the EU countries by the end of April 2010. The new technology creates an image of an unclothed body. The system has already been tested on a voluntary basis at Heathrow's Terminal Four.

The procedure involves the beaming of electromagnetic waves of passengers the result being a virtual three-dimensional "naked" image from reflected energy. The black and white images obtained are alarmingly graphic raising privacy concerns.

The European Union follows the example of the Unites States where scanners have been used in New York and Los Angeles airports because the technology shows body contours thus revealing any possible hidden objects such as guns or knives.

The draft regulation has raised a lot of concern from the privacy advocates. "I don't think people are aware of what these scanners can do and how demeaning it is to have your body on display. Heathrow was right to discontinue their use and they should not be used in Britain except as an alternative to strip searches" said Gareth Crossman, Director of Policy at Liberty. In his turn, Tony Bunyan, the editor of Statewatch, believes the technology would subject "people including women, old people and children to such a shameful and undignified experience" adding: "It would appear that this is yet another case of 'if it is technologically possible it should be used' without any consideration of proportionality, privacy and civil liberties."

Concerns over the safety of the new technology to be introduced have also been expressed. Paolo Costa, Chairman of the European Parliament's Transport Committee wrote a letter to the Commission in which he addressed several questions related to the procedure such as whether the technology is safe from the health point of view or the way in which the images will be stored and destroyed.

UK Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve wanted to emphasise the fact that, even if the scanners may prove to be effective security instruments, the UK government has to take into consideration first the UK security requirements "rather than the dictates of Brussels" and that the implementation must be done "in a proportionate manner". "Ministers need to explain publicly and transparently what these proposals are and why they are suitable to the UK" he added.

Another concern was expressed by Timothy Kirkhope, a Conservative Euro-MP from the transport committee who is worried that the new security regulations may be introduced without discussions or without consulting the public. "It must not be the case that unelected Commission officials, or security bureaucrats, can introduce these measures without elected MEPs or MPs being able to anything about it," he said.

Commission Regulation of supplementing the common basic standards on civil aviation security laid down in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 300/2008
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2008/sep/eu-com-aviation-security.pdf

ACLU Backgrounder on Body Scanners and "Virtual Strip Searches" (6.06.2008)
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/35540res20080606.html

Paolo Costa's letter to the European Commission (26.09.2008)
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2008/sep/eu-com-aviation-security-costa...

EU to introduce 'virtual strip searches' at airports by 2010 (1.10.2008)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/3110533/EU-to-introdu...