In any case such as this the choice must be arbitrary, and we recommend, without being dogmatic, we hope, that there be patrols, armed or unarmed, at major airport concourses; guards over all aircraft on the ramp at all commercial airports; physical or technical search of all persons boarding an aircraft at the ramp; search of all hand baggage, checked baggage, and supplies going on a major passenger aircraft; reinforced locked doors between the flight deck and the passenger cabin; sky marshals armed with suitable weapons on boar ...[+++]d each major passenger flight; and the captains and first officers on each major passenger flight be suitably armed.

Since the Agency already carries out the independent safety oversight function of the pan-European ATM/ANS providers in accordance with Article 22a of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008, it would be fully in line with the European aviation safety policy to entrust it with supporting the Commission in performing the same tasks concerning the European network functions.

The aim of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is to harmonise technical rules and, in particular, ensure their uniform application.

SITUATION OF EUROPEAN AIR TRANSPORT - COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS "THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, In view of the present serious economic and financial situation of a significant part of the air transport industry in Europe, due in particular to the high level of costs in many airlines without a corresponding level in productivity and aggravated, in some cases, by a significant change in market conditions, specifically in respect of demand, lower average yield and overcapacity, RECOGNIZES THAT: A healthy, financially sound and safe civil aviation sector in Europe is an important element for achieving economic and social policy objectives. To maintain, in the existing market situation, a high level of safety, which constitute ...[+++]s a prime concern of air transport policy as a whole, it would be helpful to strengthen, in close co-operation with international organizations, rules with regard to harmonization and, in particular, full implementation of existing air safety rules in the technical and social environment of undertakings. The high costs of air transport undertakings is a problem which lies both within and beyond the direct control of airline management.

For these purposes, the Commission is proposing that the organisation should be empowered : - to draft and adopt binding rules with regard to safety of civil aviation (particularly as regards the design, manufacture, operation and maintenance of aircraft, as well as the persons and the bodies involved in these tasks); - to cooperate with contracting parties to ensure uniform application of the common rules; - to conduct, directly or through competent bodies, the technical inspections required to check conformity with the common rules, issue the appropri ...[+++]ate certificates and to guarantee the regular follow-up of the level of aviation safety; - to establish the necessary international relations within its field of competence, including concluding with foreign aviation authorities the agreements necessary for the harmonisation of aviation safety rules as well as developing cooperation with a view to promoting the use of the European rules applicable in this area.

The European Commission is committed to supporting better compliance with international safety standards whenever possible and has in this perspective mandated the European Aviation Safety Agency to carry out a series of technical assistance missions to support the competent authorities of a number of states, with a view to enhancing safety and addressing the safety concerns.