A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Crete on Thursday, just over a week after a similar undersea tremor near the island was felt as far away as Egypt.

In February, a series of near-constant quakes were felt near the idyllic island of Santorini, which declared a state of emergency over the unusual seismic activity.

Although the earthquake off Crete prompted authorities to issue a tsunami warning and caused damage to buildings in the island’s historic port, experts say there is no evidence the recent cluster of tremors is connected or poses an unusually significant safety risk.

Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, told Euronews that “everytime you go to Greece, you are going to a seismically active region.”

“The hazards are not significantly higher than they were yesterday, or in February.”

Nevertheless, tourists preparing a visit to islands in the Aegean should be prepared and read up on guidance on how best to protect themselves in the event of such tremors, which can be unsettling.

“The most likely cause of injuries is falling objects if you are inside. So you have to protect yourself by going below a table and avoiding open areas when possible,” Bossu says.

“The earthquake of such magnitude itself does not automatically injure people, but tiles from roofs or balconies might do if they collapse. So you have to know how to behave during an earthquake and above all, listen to what authorities say.”

The tsunami warning is automatically triggered in the Mediterranean in the event of an undersea earthquake that reaches magnitude 6, Bossu explains.

“Typically, for magnitude 6, you do not expect a large tsunami. For this level, what is advised is not to go into harbours because it can create a whirlpool and not go on the beach because you may have some rise in sea levels.”

Unusual seismic activity in Santorini

Thursday’s tremor was felt extensively throughout islands across the Aegean Sea and in parts of the Greek capital of Athens.

Residents of the island told Greek daily Ethnos that they awoke to alarming tremors and described hearing a loud roar following the aftershocks.

The fact that it occurred in the sea meant its damage however was ultimately minimal, director of the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, Vassilis Karastathis, told OPEN tv.

“I think the most likely scenario is that it will evolve exactly as it seems to evolve with a very weak post-earthquake sequence, Karastathis said, adding that seismologists in the Mediterranean country were monitoring the phenomenon.

More unusual was the earthquake near the volcanic island of Santorini in February, which experienced intense seismic activity known as an “earthquake swarm.” According to Bossu, there was a clear volcanic element to the tremors.

Thousands fled the popular holiday destination, which has since implemented measures to protect the location from a potential volcanic eruption.

Seismologist, Dr Nikolaos Melis, Director of Research at the Institute of Geodynamics, part of the National Observatory of Athens told Euronews that despite the high number of earthquakes in a short time span, researchers have no reason to believe that Greece will experience a devastatingly large earthquake anytime soon.

However such large earthquakes — such as one in Crete that killed one person in 2021 — are impossible to predict.

Sitting close to the boundary of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates the Greek islands, particularly the western Ionian islands, are sites of high seismic activity and are typically well-prepared for the dangers of aftershocks.

“For people who are not aware it can be frightening, and whilst it is not impossible for a big earthquake, most buildings and hotels follow a strict building code that protects them from damages,” Melis says.

“Greece has got the highest seismic activity in Europe and next to Turkey we have two countries with very high activity. But as I said, the big magnitudes, the catastrophic magnitudes, are very rare.”

A group of consumer organisations has asked national consumer watchdogs and the European Commission to conduct an inquiry into what they allege are unfair hand luggage charges imposed by budget airlines.

It comes just months after Spain fined five low-cost carriers for the same reason.

The latest complaint claims the baggage fees are in violation of EU consumer protection laws.

Agustín Reyna, Director General of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), said the airlines are “exploiting consumers and ignoring the EU top court”.

Hand luggage fees ‘violate EU consumer protection laws’

The coalition of 15 consumer rights organisations from around Europe has filed the complaint against what they say are abusive and illegal luggage fees levied by low-cost airlines.

The seven carriers targeted are EasyJet, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling, and Wizz Air.

“Today we are taking action against seven airlines who are exploiting consumers and are ignoring the EU top court who ruled that charging reasonably sized hand baggage is illegal,” said Reyna.

The consumer groups argue that the fees for hand luggage contravene a ruling from more than a decade ago by the European Court of Justice.

“In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that the carriage of hand luggage cannot be subject to a surcharge, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions and complies with the applicable safety requirements,” they said.

The named low-cost carriers levy extra charges for luggage they claim is “oversized” but which should come under the size and weight measurements considered “reasonable” by the EU, the consumer groups say.

Differing hand luggage policies are confusing for consumers

BEUC says that airlines’ disregard of this legal obligation has resulted in confusing and inconsistent practices across the EU.

It argues that current discrepancies in companies’ hand luggage policies make it difficult for consumers to compare prices or make informed economic decisions.

The complaint comes months after Spanish authorities fined five of the same airlines (excluding Wizz Air and Transavia) €179 million for “abusive practices” including passenger fees for hand luggage.

Ryanair was handed the steepest fine at €107 million, followed by Vueling with €39 million, and EasyJet at €29 million.

Wizz Air charges the most for ‘hidden fees’

Recently, financial news site Tradingpedia delved into the myriad hidden fees and taxes charged by European airlines on top of the basic air fare.

Their report found that Wizz Air tops the list with airlines’ not-so-obvious fees for a flight, charging a total of £207.93 (€245) for several optional, yet sometimes unavoidable fees such as checked baggage fees, online booking fees, and rescue fees.

Ryanair ranks second, charging its passengers £198.58 (€234) on top of the air fare for the same services. EasyJet has the third-highest fees at £180.48 (€213), followed by Vueling with £151.20 (€179).

British Airways appears to have the lowest additional fees at only £64 (€75). Norwegian has the second-lowest fees at £71.53 (€84) in total, while Jet2 charges £91.50 (€107) on average.

“Many airlines charge for services that appear optional but are often unavoidable,” the report found, “such as the so-called rescue fee for missed departure, group booking fees, and even infant charges, ranging from £25 (€29) at Ryanair and easyJet to up to £137 (€162) at Vueling.”

For British travellers, taking a pet abroad to an EU country is now fraught with formalities, from rabies vaccinations to tapeworm treatments.

These complicated procedures are a result of Brexit, which introduced several bureaucratic hurdles that previously did not exist.

However, the recent negotiations for a ‘Brexit reset’ deal between the UK and the EU look set to simplify pet travel rules again.

Here are the current regulations for bringing a pet into the EU and what is expected to change.

How Brexit complicated travelling with a pet between the UK and EU

Before Brexit, UK residents enjoyed straightforward travel with their pets involving minimal paperwork.

Dogs, cats, and other furry companions were stamped in and out using a simple pet passport system.

Pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland was completely unrestricted in both directions.

But Brexit brought in a host of new bureaucratic requirements for Brits travelling with their animals.

The current requirements state that pets must be microchipped. Animals over 12 weeks old must receive a rabies vaccination, and more than three weeks must pass between the jab and travel.

Each journey requires a new EU animal health certificate (AHC) confirming both microchipping and vaccination.

Dogs need tapeworm treatment one to five days before entering the EU or Northern Ireland, with a health certificate issued within 10 days of entry. Vets charge approximately £200 (€236) per certificate.

When entering the EU, travellers must use dedicated entry points where officials will validate and stamp the pet’s documentation.

When returning to the UK, the same certifications used for departure remain valid.

Pet owners report that the paperwork is challenging and prone to errors that can prevent travel altogether.

While the certificates remain valid for up to four months for re-entry to Britain, this exceeds the 90-day limit that applies to British citizens in the EU, so it is irrelevant for most travellers.

Taking your pet to Northern Ireland, Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway?

While there are still no restrictions on taking a pet from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, the above rules apply in the opposite direction because of the ‘border in the Irish Sea’ that Boris Johnson’s government negotiated.

For direct travel to Ireland, Finland, Malta, or Norway, dogs require veterinarian-administered tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and 5 days before arrival, documented in either the health certificate or a valid pet passport.

How the Brexit reset deal could simplify travelling with your pet

The UK government is seeking to negotiate with the EU to restore something closer to pre-Brexit ease of pet travel.

This would likely involve UK pet passports regaining a similar status to EU documents.

While there’s a small health risk in facilitating more animal movement between countries, officials believe this is outweighed by both social benefits (allowing more people to travel with their pets) and economic advantages for the tourism industry.