A meeting of aviation security officials in Brussels has failed to heal divisions among EU countries over the US requirement that transatlantic flights have armed guards aboard.
Despite an address from a US aviation official, European Commission transport spokesman Mr Gilles Gantelet said there was considerable opposition to the policy.
"Most countries are not in favour. Some of them are actually firmly opposed to this, whereas others might be able to look at certain situations on a case-by-case basis.
But they feel it is not the only solution and certainly not a miracle solution," he said.
Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Portugal are firmly against the proposals with most other states including Ireland reserving their position. Only France and Britain accept the concept though only on selected flights, including some to and from other parts of the world.
"The use of weapons on board an aircraft is always potentially dangerous, because there are some very sensitive electronics on board every aircraft," Finnish Aviation Director Lars Lovkvist told Reuters Television.
Ireland was represented by Assistant Secretary at the Department of Transport Mr John Lumsden, who is chair of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee. Ireland has not taken a formal position in the issue, but the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association (IALPA) is opposed to the idea.
Capt Conor Nolan, safety and technical director at IALPA, said last week the best way to ensure safety aboard a plane is to have effective security measures on the ground.
However, he emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to what he accepted was the "potential introduction" of "sky marshals" on Irish aircraft.
The United States has threatened to bar flights that do not meet the requirement as part of homeland security measure introduced following the September 11 attacks.
Today's talks were part of a consultation process and further discussions are planned.
Additional reporting: