ECAC Common Evaluation Process (CEP) of security equipment
The ECAC Common Evaluation Process (CEP) of security equipment is the laboratory testing programme established by ECAC Member States to assess security equipment against ECAC/EU performance standards and provide a common reference for national administrations to certify/approve the security equipment deployed at airports under their responsibility.
The aims of the CEP are to:
- evaluate the technical performance of security equipment in an objective and standardised manner across the different participating test centres involved in the process. This includes developing and keeping up to date the applicable Common Testing Methodologies (CTMs); and
- provide ECAC Member States with reliable information on equipment performance against adopted technical standards.
In January 2020, the European Commission acknowledged the CEP as a pre-condition for the approval of civil aviation security equipment in the European Union. As a consequence, the European Commission grants automatic eligibility for the EU approval of security equipment and the “EU Stamp” marking to security equipment confirmed by the CEP as meeting ECAC/EU performance standards.
In addition, those tested configurations found to meet an ECAC/EU performance standard are published in the public part of the ECAC website, for the benefit of the wider international community, i.e. non-ECAC Member States and industry stakeholders (e.g. airport operators).
Non-ECAC States such as Australia, Canada, Israel or the United States, which have their own security equipment testing programmes, recognise the value of the CEP and participate in ECAC technical meetings to exchange information and work towards the harmonisation of performance standards and testing procedures.
Categories of security equipment
The following sections provide information on the equipment configurations that have been evaluated as meeting a currently valid ECAC/EU performance standard. The lists for all CEP equipment types can be downloaded via the links provided in the table below. Please note that the evaluation made, and the performance standard attributed, are valid only for the configuration(s) of the equipment indicated in the table. These lists will be updated regularly, usually on a quarterly basis, as test results are analysed and endorsed by the CEP Management Group.
The CEP currently applies to the following categories of security equipment:
| Image | Category of security equipment | Last update | Download |
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Explosive Detection Systems (EDS) | 22/08/2024 |  |
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Liquid Explosive Detection Systems (LEDS) | 30/11/2023 | |
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Security Scanners (SSc) | 30/09/2023 | |
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Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) equipment | 22/08/2024 | |
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Metal Detection Equipment (MDE) | 26/10/2016 | |
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Explosive Detection Systems for Cabin Baggage (EDSCB) | 18/10/2023 | |
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Walk-Through Metal Detection (WTMD) equipment | 09/12/2022 | |
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Automated Prohibited Item Detection Software (APIDS) |
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Explosive Vapour Detection (EVD) equipment Note: Tests estimated to commence in Q3 2024 |
Note: This evaluation does not constitute an approval or certification of the equipment by ECAC. Approval or certification of equipment remains the responsibility of the Appropriate Authority for aviation security in each ECAC Member State.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about the ECAC Common Evaluation Process of security equipment are available here.
Security equipment meeting only expired ECAC/EU performance standard
Lists of equipment found to meet only expired ECAC/EU performance standards are provided here (for historical reference).
