News Releases

Jacques Barrot
 

No. 34/05
April 14, 2005

US LIGHTER BAN:
EU CONVEYS SAFETY CONCERN TO STATE DEPARTMENT

The European Union is questioning the effectiveness and safety of new US rules banning cigarette lighters from air-travelers’ hand luggage which will impact flights from the EU to the United States.

In a note delivered to the US State Department on April 12, the EU urged the Department of Homeland Security to consider the direct impact on security operations at EU airports. The diplomatic "demarche" said that technology currently does not exist to detect lighters effectively on passengers before boarding and that, to meet the new US rules, a full hand search would be required at EU airports and could paralyze airport operations there.

The EU is also concerned about the safety implications of the ban, noting that passengers will still be allowed to carry matches on board, but will be encouraged to place lighters in their hold (checked) baggage, which could lead to serious and catastrophic safety consequences in the event of a fuel leak.

EU Commissioner for Transport Jacques Barrot raised the issue on his first visit to the United States in March. Speaking to press on March 22, he said:

“We think that the measure will be difficult to apply, and there are also doubts whether this measure will be well understood, because effective measures for security need to be well understood…..Security is an absolute priority and we need to pay attention to choose the most effective measure. The more we have prior consultation on security measures, the more effective they will also be in their application; and also, indeed, the better they also will be accepted by passengers.”

Excerpts from the demarche follow:

“As US rules are often intended to apply not only to US outbound but also inbound flights, this rule may have a direct impact on operations at airports in the European Union.”

“As regards a ban on all lighters the EU and its Member States question the effectiveness of such a rule. Given the technology restraints to date in detecting an efficient way lighters the only realistic means of potentially detecting such items would be to subject all passengers and their hand luggage to a hand search. However, such hand searching of all passengers and their hand luggage would paralyze airport operations in Europe and is therefore unacceptable and inapplicable.

“Any ban may have the likely effect of encouraging passengers to place, despite existing safety rules, lighters in their hold baggage. This has potentially serious safety consequences and the risks may, indeed outweigh any possible benefits from banning such objects from being carried on the passenger.”