EU may adopt common scanner stance
(LA CORUNA) - European Union governments may adopt a common stance on using body scanners in airports by June, said Spain, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, on Friday.
After being divided over the scanners, the 27-member bloc has agreed on the need for a united stance and "we could take a position in June" with the idea of establishing common rules, Spain's transport minister Jose Blanco said.
Britain and The Netherlands have introduced body scanners in airports and France, Italy and Denmark plan to test them out shortly.
The moves come after Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was charged with trying to down a passenger plane bound for the United States from Amsterdam.
But other EU countries are cool on the idea of scanners, despite US pressure.
European Transportation Commissioner Siim Kallas, from Estonia, acknowledged scanners were "a very, very complex issue."
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