Challenge
Since the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot, the EU has defined legally binding technical specifications and performance requirement standards for various types of detection equipment used in EU airports, which call for European Common Testing Methodologies (CTMs) for detection equipment, to facilitate mutual recognition of approved or certified equipment. However, this kind of arrangement is not yet at the same maturity level for the detection of explosives outside the framework of aviation security e.g. for mass transport, special events, crowded places. There are different needs among the stakeholders, which hinders harmonisation, and so it is currently not possible to propose a single scheme for the certification, testing and trialling of explosive detection equipment outside of aviation.
Focus of work
Although definition of a common CTM for non-aviation security would be, at the moment, a too-challenging task for the ERNCIP TG, a common methodology that would evaluate the capabilities of the detection equipment (e.g. does it detect explosives?) and check the claims of manufacturers would be helpful, as it would provide an indicator to the potential of detection systems.
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Main deliverables
The reports produced by this thematic group are available in the knowledge hub.