EU proposes tougher rules for black boxes

[PARIS] Nearly two months after a Malaysian jetliner disappeared, Europe's aviation safety agency formally proposed a series of new measures aimed at improving the chances of finding the flight recorders of aircraft that crash at sea.

The proposals include tougher standards that would enhance the range and triple the required battery life for flight recorders, also known as black boxes, to 90 days from 30 days, and would extend the recording time on cockpit voice recorders to 20 hours from today's minimum of two hours, the European Aviation Safety Agency, based in Cologne, Germany, said in a statement.

"The proposed changes are expected to increase safety by facilitating the recovery of information by safety investigation authorities," Patrick Ky, executive director of the agency, said in a statement.