“We have received the assessment from the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and we have given the EU stamp based on their assessment for this first configuration of airport scanners that allow passengers to bring these bigger containers of liquids on board”, said Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, spokesperson for the European Commission, on Tuesday 29 July (see EUROPE 13687/18).
It is now up to the airports to take the necessary practical measures. This technology involves 700 C3 scanners in 21 Member States, which allow the baggage to be viewed in 3D, thus providing complete detection. Airports are responsible for informing passengers.
The ECAC assessment received on Thursday 24 July concerns only the first configuration of a certain type of scanner. However, there are other types, which are currently being assessed by the ECAC. “When they’re done with their assessment of these technical details, they [ECAC] will get back to us and then we will look at their assessment and then we will give the EU stamp accordingly”, added the spokeswoman.
In response, the German airport association ADV welcomed the decision, but criticised the current EU certification procedure as “too slow, difficult to understand and holding back the introduction of modern technologies”. It was only thanks to the commitment of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and other EU Member States that the European Commission has finally moved, was the critical assessment from the ADV. The association is therefore calling for a reform of the European certification procedure, to make it faster and more transparent. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)