Looking through this thread I find that a pilot was breathalysed and found to be microscopically over the JAR limit.
I would be interested to know if there was a standard check in EHAM, at the report point, to check alcohol levels of flight crew passing through. I have never been subjected to such a check at any European departure point, as foreign operator crew.This only ever happened at my point of departure from home base, otherwise it was reliance on self regulation.
There is some suggestion that the pilot, subject of this thread, was reported by a third party. I would believe that anyone with a blood alcohol level up to 0.04 would appear, in all respects, to be perfectly competent and sober to any observer. That would include behaviour, response, smell, etc. I suspect an ulterior motive at work here and feel sorry for the pilot implicated.
In my country there is a tolerance level for speeding offences in a vehicle. If the limit is 30, there is a tolerance to 33, a 'warning' to 36 and a fine above that. A plus or minus tolerance on any limit is a practical thing and a complete cut-off above that ( lets say 36 for speeding and 0.04 for alcohol) entirely sensible.
No-one at 0.02 - 0.04 is 'drunk' by any standard, but any violation of the 0.02 limit ensures, in the eyes of the voracious Press, that you are a 'drunk pilot'