EC Publishes Aviation Security Rules

August 15, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

The publication of the list of prohibited articles will make it easier for passengers in the European Union (EU) to know what they can - and cannot - take on board an aircraft, while it increases the transparency of applicable EU rules.

This decision will not change the existing legislation relating to aviation security. Rather, the primary aim is to place a significant proportion of the rules - which have until now not been officially published - into the public domain, while not compromising aviation security.

Information on articles that are prohibited from being carried by passengers in their cabin baggage or hold baggage is already available through airlines or airports.

Also, the EC had already published this information in 2004 and 2006 (see IP/04/59 and MEMO/06/363).

With this action, the existing Regulation (EC) No 622/2003, which lays down measures for the implementation of the common basic standards on aviation security, and its subsequent amendments are repealed and replaced by two legislative acts - an EC regulation and an EC decision.

All those elements of the existing rules that can be placed in the public domain without adversely prejudicing aviation security are in the new regulation, whereas the new decision contains those elements that are deemed sensitive to place in the public domain.

An example of what will be contained in the decision (and thus not made public) is the minimum performance standards of security screening equipment used at airports.

The new regulation will be published on the web site of the Official Journal of the European Union. In addition, it will be placed on the EC's Air Transport web site.

The new decision is addressed to the EU's member states, who will be responsible of making available the elements contained in the decision to duly authorized persons on a "need-to-know" basis.

This respects Regulation (EC) No 2320/2002 of the European Parliament and the European Council of Ministers, which established common rules in the field of civil aviation security and required, in Article 8, both that certain measures "shall be kept secret and not published" and that the national authorities shall make available the rules on aviation security to parties on a need-to-know basis.

Antonio Tajani, EC vice president in charge of transport, said, "When the commission adopted its implementing rules on aviation security it was decided - with the support of the member states - to keep them all out of the public domain for security reasons."

"Five years on, the experience we have gained enables us to have greater transparency without prejudicing security. When in place, this will be yet another positive step for the benefit of passengers traveling in Europe."

Source: European Commission.