Paris/videoconference, 7-8 October 2025 — Risks to aviation from chemical agents and incendiary devices were at the centre of discussions during the latest meeting of the Guidance Material Task Force (GMTF), held in October.
Participants reviewed mitigation measures implemented at both European and national levels, and agreed to update two existing ECAC reference documents in 2026 to further support Member States in addressing these risks.
Participants also considered outstanding comments on several draft papers, covering topics such as cabin baggage screening, the National Civil Aviation Security Quality Control Programme, occurrence reporting and trends analysis in aviation security, guidance on the use of Threat Image Projection (TIP), and best practices for acceptance testing of security equipment. Once finalised, these papers will be submitted to the Security Programme Management Group for adoption.
When defining a new approach for the GMTF work programme, the members agreed that key factors such as ECAC Member States’ priorities, the evolution of the threat landscape, and regulatory developments, should be systematically considered in the future planning and design of tasks to be included in the programme.
Taking these elements into account, the task force decided to develop four new documents – including on managing new and emerging threats and maintaining aviation security during large-scale events – and to update eleven existing documents in 2026, subject to SPMG approval at its next meeting in November.