The European Commission is shelving plans for airport security checks that would show passengers naked on a scanner screen.
The proposal has been condemned by critics as a "virtual strip search".
Opposition to the plan in the European Parliament threatened to delay a wider airport security proposal.
However, European Commission transport spokesman Fabio Pirotta said the EU executive would try to introduce body scanners in the future.
A number of EU states already use body scanners. Mr Pirotta said they could continue to use them under national legislation.