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Deutsch: Die EU denkt über Ganzkörperscanner an Flughäfen nach

On 7 January 2010, a discussion tool place in Brussels on the necessity of introducing full-body scanners in European airports. Some of the European countries such as Italy, UK and The Netherlands had already announced their intention to install such technology in their airports.

The US is pressing Europe on taking such additional security measures following the reported attempt of a Nigerian man to blow up a U.S. airliner flying from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced on 2 January that full-body screening would be introduced in British airports along with other additional security measures. BAA, Britain's main airport operator has already ordered them for Heathrow airport . Heathrow and Manchester airports have had trials using such equipment.

The introduction of full-body scanners might be in breach of child protection laws and privacy campaigners and civil liberties groups also argued the images created by the scanners were too graphic and called for safeguards to protect the privacy of passengers and to ensure that the images obtained would not end up on the Internet.

On 2 January as well, the Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said in an interview to Corriere della Sera newspaper that he was in favour of a rapid introduction of the body scanners. "We have the resources ready to acquire them but we must overcome the opposition of European privacy agencies," said the minister.

Wolfgang Bosbach, the head of the German parliament's Committee on Interior Affairs, also announced on 2 January that he expected the body-scanners to be introduced in the current year adding that the tests would probably start in the next 6 months.

However, Klaus Jansen of professional police association Bundes Deutscher Kriminalbeamter warned against over-confidence related to the scanners and Petra Pau of the Left party also called the scanners a "security mirage" which bring forth health, practical, and ethical issues. "A minimum wage for security services would be a lot more effective than state-ordained peep-shows," she said in a statement.

The Dutch government also stated it would immediately begin using full body scanners on flights to the United States in order to avoid such incidents as the one on Christmas Day.

During the meeting on 7 January in Brussels, not all European countries were in favour of introducing the technology. Spain expressed scepticism about the need for body scanners, and the German and French governments still preserve some reservations.

Etiennne Schouppe, the Belgium Secretary of State for transport considered that such measures were excessive and that the present security measures were strict enough. She also agreed on the necessity of having a united approach of the European countries in the matter as expressed by Antonio Tajani, European Commission Vice President: "We have to reach agreement together with the (European) parliament and member states. It's best to have a European solution than having individual member states deciding on their own."

Privacy advocates and experts have shown concern related to the technical effectiveness of body scanners. "Any security expert knows this is a red herring, a diversion from the real issue," said Simon Davies, director of Privacy International who added: "The biggest failure in this case was a failure of intelligence. That's the Achilles heel of an effective counterterrorism strategy."

Privacy International (PI), while not against security measures that would really enhance passengers' protection, is concerned by the introduction of unproven or intrusive technology and measures. The body scanners tested at Heathrow airport over four years have resulted in a decision to interrupt the scanner use.

In PI opinion, there are several concerning issues related to the body scanners. They produce too graphic images of the passengers' bodies revealing intimate medical details. The organization is also sceptical regarding the privacy safeguards applied by the US Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) in relation to the scanned images.

The main issue is the effectiveness of the technology. "Our impression is that a very high percentage of the passengers who opt for a scan will still wind up being physically searched because officials will have trouble distinguishing threatening objects from ordinary ones such as a wallet" says PI. The scanners have not yet proven effective in case of liquid explosives and cannot detect explosives hidden in body cavities.

Full-body scanners being ordered for airports, says Gordon Brown (3.01.2010)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/03/gordon-brown-airport-body-...

New scanners break child porn laws (4.01.2010)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jan/04/new-scanners-child-porn...

Italy aims to introduce body scanners: minister (2.01.2010)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6010GK20100102

Body scanners to come sooner than expected (3.01.2010)
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100103-24323.html

Dutch to use full body scanners for US flights (30.12.2009)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/12/30/general-us-airliner-attack_7...

Europe anxious about body scanner privacy (5.01.2010)
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/attacks-aviation.254/

Europe Divided on Use of Body Scanners in Airports (7.01.2010)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,582386,00.html

PI statement on proposed deployments of body scanners in airports (31.12.2009)
http://www.privacyinternational.org/article.shtml?cmd³³0³=x-347-565802

EDRI- gram: The European Parliament says no to airport body scanners (5.11.2008)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number6.21/meps-against-virtual-strip-sea...