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EU airports ‘should wait for common standards’ on body scanners

Thu, Jan 14 2010 15:36 CET

byThe Sofia Echo Staff

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EU airports ‘should wait for common standards’ on body scanners

Siim Kallas.

There should be a single European Union regulation on the use of body scanners at airports, according to European Commissioner-designate for Transport Siim Kallas, who on January 14 2010 sternly criticised EU states that already had started using the scanners at their airports.
 
Advocates of the use of body scanners say that they enhance security and pose no risk of nude images of passengers being seen by unauthorised people – or turning up on the internet.
 
Among EU states, France, the UK and Italy have announced plans to use body scanners.
 
Kallas, speaking during a confirmation hearing at the European Parliament, said that body scanners should not be seen as a "panacea" for safety.
 
On January 12 2010, at her confirmation hearing, European Commissioner-designate for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding said that fundamental rights such as data protection would be "top of the line".
 
Asked about personal data protection and the possible use of body scanners in airports, Reding said, "we will not let anyone dictate to us rules that go against fundamental rights on anti-terrorism grounds...our need for security cannot justify any violation of privacy. We should never be driven by fear, but by values".
 

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Anonymous Epaminondas Thu, Jan 14 2010 20:03 CET
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Silly b*gg*er.


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