SECURITY OF INSTITUTIONS : BUCKING TREND, EP DISCARDS BODY SCANNERS.

The strengthening of security undeniably remains a burning issue with, on one hand, the report by the Belgian government's crisis centre (SPFI) on the security of EU summits and, on the other hand, the debate on airport body scanners. And while it seems that, in light of recent events, the security of the EU Council of Ministers (and airports) must be reinforced, institutions are finding it difficult to agree on the means by which they can achieve this. The European Parliament is almost unanimously refusing to install body scanners, whether they be in airports or within its own institutions.

TWO BREACHES OF SECURITY

The intrusion of Greenpeace activists into the building reserved for heads of state and government in December 2009 had highlighted the poor coordination of the security services during meetings of top leaders. A limousine had, in fact, slipped between the police cars, armed with false badges and emergency flashing lights. Since then, Belgian Interior Minister Annemie Turtelboom has ordered a global evaluation of security measures surrounding the European Councils. The report, carried out by the crisis centre of SPF Interieur, promises that "the balance between protocol and security will be re-established through a policy of integrated security," ie constant cooperation between the European Council's security service, the police services and the heads of all the delegations, which will themselves be limited. In future, the crisis centre will prepare a global action plan for each summit.

More recently, the...