EC proposes certification system to ensure safety at EU airports

This proposal will make it possible to, through the simplification and harmonisation of certification standards for airport control equipment, ensure the application of security screening standards at all airports in the European Union. This security control equipment is used for the inspection of people (Passengers & Staff), Carry-on and checked baggage, Supplies, Freight & Airmail.

The European Commission proposed a single EU certification procedure for airport security screening equipment that will improve the competitiveness of the security industry in the area.

This certification will allow safety equipment approved in one Member State to be marketed in other Member States. The creation of a system of mutual recognition of safety equipment will help to overcome the problems arising from market fragmentation, Strengthening the competitiveness of the security industry, boost employment in the sector and, ultimately, improving aviation security across Europe.

"Technology makes it possible to prevent threats and strengthen the security of European citizens and the resilience of European society as a whole. This proposal will make it possible to, through the simplification and harmonisation of certification standards for airport control equipment, ensure that our strict security screening standards are enforced at all EU airports. It will also contribute to boosting the competitiveness of the European security industry and increasing its capacity to deliver solutions that strengthen the security of EU citizens.", explains Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship.

Safety equipment for people control, carry-on baggage and goods in the aviation sector constitute a market with an annual turnover of 14.000 € million worldwide, of which 4.200 million are accounted for by the EU. However, the EU's internal market for control equipment is currently fragmented due to national certification procedures, that hinder the efficiency of the market and the free movement of goods.

EU legislation, which currently lays down the technical specifications and performance requirements for aviation security screening equipment at airports in the area, it does not establish a legally binding conformity assessment system at EU level to ensure that the required standards are met at all its airports.

The Commission's proposal establishes a single certification system based on a common analysis methodology and the issuance of certificates of conformity by manufacturers that would be valid in all their Member States, in accordance with the principle of mutual recognition.

Airport Security Screening Equipment

Airport security screening equipment is used for the screening of people (Airport passengers and staff), Carry-on and checked baggage, Supplies, Air Freight & Mail.

EU legislation on aviation security controls is based on the rules developed by the Commission and adapts to evolving threat scenarios and risk assessments.

Member States, in cooperation with the Commission, partially addressed the issue of market fragmentation through the development of common test methods within the framework defined by the European Civil Aviation Conference (CEAC). In 2008, the ECAC implemented a common assessment process (CEP) for testing safety control equipment used in the aviation sector. Since then, the CEP has been reviewed and improved in terms of its effectiveness, but it still lacks the legally binding framework to enable its full potential to be realized.

The 28 April 2015, the European Commission adopted the European Agenda on Security, setting out the main measures to ensure an effective EU response to terrorism and threats to the security of the European Union over the period 2015-2020.

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