German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere says his five-point plan also calls for “special controls” on suspect parcels “like technical material from Yemen destined for a Jewish organization in Europe or the United States.” The ministers are expected to set up a panel to review the proposed measures.
Last month, authorities intercepted two package bombs in Britain and Dubai that had been sent from Yemen. The addresses on the packages were outdated locations for two Chicago synagogues. The terror group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility.
Those bombs contained 300 and 400 grams of the powerful industrial explosive PETN.
The failed attempts were followed last week, by a spate of small bombs mailed in Greece to embassies and foreign leaders. Several countries, including the US, Germany, Britain and France, have temporarily banned all air freight from Yemen. If de Maiziere’s proposal is approved, it would be the first time the 27-nation European has adopted a blacklist of foreign airports.
The EU has had a list of unsafe airlines since 2006. It currently includes 278 banned airlines from 17 countries — mostly small carriers from Africa and Asia — and is regularly updated. The EU said on Monday it would lift visa requirements for travelers from Albania and Bosnia next month, aiming to encourage democratic reforms in the Balkan states, but warned that restrictions could be re-imposed if travel rules are abused.
The bloc’s home affairs ministers approved a proposal by the EU executive, the European Commission, to scrap travel restrictions for holders of biometric passports, that have a digitally recorded photo, during a meeting in Brussels. However, they insisted the European Commission would continue to monitor how the two countries comply with EU rules on border controls and passport security, underscoring reluctance in the bloc to open up to unrestricted travel.
Some EU governments doubt the two EU membership hopefuls can cope with issues such as illegal immigration and trafficking along drug routes from Asia to Europe, because of weak institutions and alleged corruption.
Such concerns increased after a relaxation of visa requirements for citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia last year led to a spike in applications for asylum in the EU from the three western Balkan states.
“This has ... prompted the European Commission to set up a post-visa monitoring process that aims at preventing risks of misuse and abuse of the asylum procedures,” said the EU’s commissioner for internal affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom. “A visa-free regime also comes with responsibilities,” she said in a statement, commenting on the ministers’ decision.
