European countries are to step up checks on air passengers arriving from countries affected by the Sars virus

The move follows a special meeting of health ministers from 25 European countries in Brussels on Monday. Ministers pledged to work together to stop the virus from taking hold in Europe. However, they stopped short of ordering medical checks on all those flying in from at risk areas. Instead, they said the emphasis should be on screening passengers before they leave countries affected by the virus. Nevertheless, they pledged to step up efforts to ensure airlines have procedures in place to ensure passengers can be traced after their arrival. "We have had reports that some airlines are performing better than others," EU health commissioner David Byrne told journalists. "Traceability is important and that has been emphasised to airlines."