BRUSSELS, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Interior ministers of the European Union have agreed to set up an ad hoc group to look at ways of strengthening air cargo security across the bloc.
The action follows the rejection of a German plan to blacklist certain airports in countries prone to terrorism in the wake of the Yemen mail bombs, the EUobserver reported Tuesday.
"We were lucky those attacks were thwarted," said Annemie Turtelboom, Belgium's interior minister. "There was no agreement that there should be a blacklist of some countries."
The EU does have a blacklist of unsafe airlines, which are banned from flying in the 27-nation bloc, but it does not have a list for airports.
The ad hoc study group will be composed of transport and interior experts who will report back in December on proposals to help airport authorities carry out inspections more effectively.
Germany, France, Britain, Belgium and Netherlands have decided to ban all air freight originating from Yemen.
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