Civil aviation security
In accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 300/2002, the Commission presents a report on common rules in the field of civil aviation security. The report covers the period 1 January – 31 December 2013.
The main observations of the report are as follows:
Consolidation of aviation security provisions: 2013 is described as a year of consolidation of aviation security provisions and increased efforts to implement upcoming new rules for air cargo and the carriage of liquids in cabin baggage. The only remaining transitional period for the aviation security measures introduced by Regulation (EC) 300/2008 ended in April. This concerned the requirement for known consignors of air cargo and airmail to be approved by the appropriate authorities instead of a simple designation by an affiliated regulated agent. Commission inspections therefore put emphasis on verifying compliance with these new requirements.
Partial lifting of restrictions on liquids: a key EU aviation security project is the phasing in of technology-based controls of liquids carried by passengers in their cabin baggage. Airport operators and security equipment manufacturers have enhanced cooperation throughout 2013 to best prepare for a partial lifting of the liquids restrictions as of 31 January 2014. The Commission is supporting this and other projects strengthening the detection performance of airport equipment and security measures with a Technology Roadmap first presented to stakeholders in 2013 and since continuously updated.
EU inbound cargo and mail: the implementation date for this security project of 1 July 2014 is approaching. Air carriers that wish to carry cargo and mail into the Union after 1 July 2014 need to be validated by a EU aviation security validator before that date in order to be re-designated as ‘ACC3’. Other entities will need to be EU aviation security validated too if they wish to be involved in the related secure third country supply chain.
Throughout the second half of 2013 the Commission strengthened cooperation with Member States and industry to ensure a smooth implementation. Several efforts are under way to explain the enhanced EU system to third countries and to international organisations (European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)). Furthermore, detailed checklists for the validation of the related secure supply chain in third countries were adopted mid 2013 as a last preparatory step on the legislative side.
Cooperation : besides security alerts in August triggered by the United States, the year did not require any short term enhancements of aviation security controls in Europe. These security alerts also confirmed the need to improve cooperation between EU Member States and between States and institutions. The High Level Report on the Strengthening of Air Cargo Security from 2010 already identified this need but further work in this area remains to be undertaken.
In the international arena the Commission participated effectively in all relevant ICAO events where it increased the EU’s visibility and influence as regards aviation security policy internationally. The Commission is also fully engaged with key third country partners, and during 2013 organised and participated in several bilateral and multi-lateral meetings.
Inspections: 26 initial inspections of airports were conducted during 2013, an increase by three inspections in comparison to 2012, mainly due to the fact that more cargo inspections were conducted and a number of smaller airports were covered, both kinds of inspections requiring a lower number of inspectors. All chapters were covered (although not during each inspection). The overall percentage of core measures found to be in compliance in 2013 was 80% - roughly the same as in previous years.
The report notes that compliance levels remained stable and did not require any suspension of the EU's One Stop Security System in 2013. In baseline measures, deficiencies identified in the areas of staff and cargo screening requirements tended, by and large, to stem from human factor issues. Further non-compliances found in the measures more recently adopted for implementation under the legal framework of Regulation (EC) 300/2008 were related to security controls of high-risk cargo and mail as well as of airport/in-flight supplies and training. Commission recommendations for corrective action were overall followed up satisfactorily, but the inspectors' findings confirm the importance of a robust EU inspection regime and of adequate quality assurance at Member State level. The Commission will continue its efforts to ensure that all legal requirements are fully and correctly implemented, initiating infringement proceedings if necessary.
The report concludes that a high level of security continues to be ensured in the EU. Commission inspections have shown a stable level of compliance with core regulatory provisions.