France asks EU to suspend flights to Mexico

By Laure Bretton and Tim Hepher

PARIS (Reuters) - France called on Wednesday for a European Union ban on flights to Mexico in the latest response to fears of swine flu, but the EU's executive Commission said it had no power to curtail travel from its 27 member nations.

"Nicolas Sarkozy has asked for a stronger initiative at European level," French government spokesman Luc Chatel said.

"France is calling for a meeting of transport ministers as soon as possible and is calling for the suspension of flights to Mexico," he told reporters.

EU countries may impose individual travel restrictions such as suspending flights over swine flu, but the Commission cannot impose an EU-wide ban, a Commission official told Reuters.

"France of course is free to discuss a coordinated approach with all or some other member states given the complexities and cross-border aspects of air travel," the official said.

"This could take many forms and does not necessarily have to include all member states, as some may feel there is no need for such action. But there will be no diktat from Brussels."

Moreover, aviation experts expressed doubts over how an unprecedented one-way travel ban would work in practice.

French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said she would ask EU counterparts at a meeting on Thursday to suspend flights to but not from Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak.