(STRASBOURG) - The European Parliament called Wednesday for an "urgent revision" of EU limits on taking liquids on to planes, questioning the security benefits and expressing concern at the confiscations involved.

The parliament in Strasbourg voted to call on the European Commission to take urgent action to ease the rules -- and to work towards ending them altogether if there was no new information on the efficacy of the measures in the fight against terrorism.

Last year the EU brought in heightened security measures in the wake of a terrorist attempt in Britain, restricting air passengers to carrying small containers of liquids or gels in sealed plastic bags.

The rules have meant that some people leaving an EU airport have had their vodka bottles and aerosols dumped at check-in.

For those arriving from outside the EU the situation has been more confusing. They are allowed to board a plane in New York, for example, with larger bottles in their bags, but can still face having them confiscated on arrival.

European deputies declared themselves "in favour of all security measures which protect aviation against the risks of terrorism and which, without being disproportionate, permit the maximum limiting of risks in a realistic manner".

But they added: "Controlling the presence of liquids in carry-on luggage with the aid of X-ray facilities does not guarantee the detection of explosives in liquids."

The MEPs called instead for research to be carried out on methods of detecting explosives in liquids.

The parliament estimated that the costs and inconvenience incurred by passengers at airports as the result of confiscation of duty-free and other goods largely offset any security benefits.

In late July the European Commission announced its intention to reduce confiscations of duty-free purchases such as alcohol and perfume made outside the EU and brought in on planes.

EU experts will carry out studies in third countries. Where "good levels of aviation security" can be verified, countries will be exempted from such confiscations.

Text and Picture Copyright 2007 AFP. All other Copyright 2007 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.