Airports across the Europe Union start to apply strict new security rules on hand luggage Monday, limiting the amount of liquids which can be brought on board planes.

As the new rules require, liquids can only be taken aboard in small containers with a maximum capacity of 100 milliliters, and all such containers should be put into a transparent re-sealable plastic bag for security check.

The liquids cover not only water and soft drinks, but also soups, creams, lotions, perfumes, shaving cream, toothpaste, sprays and gels. However, medicine and baby foods are exempt, so with drinks and perfumes bought at airport shops after security check.

Passengers will also face stricter checks. Under the news rules, they have to take off all coats and jackets at security checks and take laptop computers and other large electrical devices out of their bags for inspection.

The European Commission Transport spokesman, Ferran Tarradellas Espuny, said that those are minimum measures all EU airports have to take and that member states can take more stringent measures if required.

Passengers arriving at EU airports with liquids packed in checked luggage are not subject to the new measures.

Besides the 25-nation EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland also started to apply the same rules at their airports on Monday.

The EU members decided to tighten airport security measures after British authorities announced in August they had foiled a plot to blow down U.S.-bound flights with liquid-based explosives.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2006)