The European Commission has decides that the majority of rules relating to aviation security will be made available to the public. The publication of the EU list of prohibited articles will make it easier for passengers to know what they can, and cannot, take on board an aircraft, while it increases transparency of EU rules in this domain.

Information on articles that are currently prohibited from being carried by passengers in their cabin baggage or hold baggage was until now available through airlines or airports. The European Commission had already published this information in 2004 and 2006.

The decision now taken by the Commission will not change the existing legislation relating to aviation security. Rather, the primary aim is to place a significant proportion of the rules, which have until now not been officially published, into the public domain, whilst not compromising aviation security.
 
The existing Commission Regulation (EC) No 622/2003 laying down measures for the implementation of the common basic standards on aviation security and its subsequent amendments are repealed and replaced by two legislative acts, a Commission Regulation and a Commission Decision:

• The Regulation will contain all those elements of the existing rules that can be placed in the public domain without adversely prejudicing aviation security;
• whereas the Decision contains those elements which are deemed sensitive to place in the public domain. An example of what will be contained in the Decision (and thus not made public) is the minimum performance standards of security screening equipment used at airports.

As Commission Vice-President in charge of transport, Mr. Antonio Tajani, highlighted, five years after the implementation of the rules on aviation security  “the experience we have gained enables us to have greater transparency without prejudicing security. When in place, this will be yet another positive step for the benefit of passengers travelling in Europe.”

The Regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, as well as in the Security section of the European Commission's Transport website.