The "major events" to which the discussion refers include large sporting events, high-profile political summits, and international cultural festivals. Such events have a venue and an organizer with whom the police and government agencies cooperate in security planning. Each event requires the development of a security plan that takes into account the various security risks and threats posed by the event. In developing security procedures for such events, new standards of security may be set, which will involve assessing whether proposed security measures comply with ethical standards for policing in Europe. The European Code of Police Ethics, which was adopted by the Council of Europe in 2001, sets common standards for the Council's 47 member states. The Code is oriented toward the protection of liberty and citizen's rights in democratic societies governed by the rule of law. The difficulty of maintaining compliance with the Code in the face of emerging threats to public safety in Europe was evident in the aftermath of the London terrorist bombing in the United Kingdom on July 7, 2005. Analysts predicted that the bombings would usher in a "new normality" regarding the public's willingness and demand for more intrusive and innovative security tools and procedures. The "new normality" for security measures may become evident for the 2012 Olympics in London. The issues that may be addressed are any further intrusive security measures that the public might be expected to accept, as well as how well the Council of Europe's carefully designed principles of ethical policing and democratic accountability stand up to the "new normality" and the rigors of the new security challenges now being faced in contemporary Europe. 2 tables and 14 references