Korea may adopt liquids rule; ETRC plans security audit

Emily Pacey

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As more countries adopt the airport liquids security regulations, the European Travel Retail Council proposes to audit safety regulations at airports around the world

The South Korean government is reviewing security recommendations made by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) limiting the amount of liquids that passengers may carry on international flights. The ICAO has recommended that all countries adopt the new rules, which restrict air passengers to carrying one litre of liquids in 10 100ml containers from landside shops on board, by March 1.

Implementing the regulations would bring Korea into line with the EU, the US and Canada’s security standards. Croatia adopted the rules earlier this month, while Tunisia has confirmed that it will implement the regulations from April 1, the same day as Australia.

Australia is one of just three countries to have joined the European Travel Retail Council’s (ETRC) recent campaign to stop duty-free goods being confiscated from transfer passengers. ETRC is urging retailers and airport authorities to put pressure on governments to recognise the safety of other countries' security rules. The bilateral adoption of the same security regulations is widely regarded as necessary to stop the confiscation of duty-free goods from international passengers.

ETRC plans to develop an auditing system enabling countries to have their security regimes checked and approved.

ETRC secretary general Keith Spinks told RavenFox.com: “We are developing a security audit process that we will be showing to ICAO in the hope that it will accept it. We want to see the same security rules applied in the third country as are applied in the EU. We also want the same standards applied to supply chain security and staff screening. We are looking at putting an audit system in place that allows an airport to confirm that it is secure.”

He added: “The audit will be part of the final stage of the process of gaining global mutual recognition of security rules. The first stage is to gain a bilateral agreement recognising the safety of security standards between the EU and the US. The second phase is to gain agreements between the EU and countries with key transfer airports. The final stage is to set auditable global standards.”

ETRC hopes to have an audit process finalised by the end of this year.