BRUSSELS: Individual European Union member states have the right to refuse access to their airspace but it was unclear why France and Portugal abruptly cancelled air permits for a plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales, the EU said on Wednesday.
"At the moment it is not entirely clear what happened this morning, why the French and Portuguese decided to divert the flight," a European Commission spokeswoman said of the French and Portuguese moves, apparently motivated by fears fugitive ex-US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden could be on board.
But the spokeswoman said it was a sovereign responsibility of EU member states to decide whether to refuse access to an aircraft and the EU had no powers in the area.
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