Filenews 26 July 2025
The European Commission has confirmed to Euronews that safety equipment capable of scanning the contents of large containers of liquids may soon be deployed across the EU. The development was first published by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
According to current EU regulations, liquids, sprays and gels (LAGs) carried in hand luggage must be packed in containers with a capacity of less than 100ml, although there are exceptions for special foods, baby products and medicines.
The reason is that conventional security equipment, such as X-ray machines, cannot effectively detect explosive liquids.
However, as Euronews writes, new explosive detection systems have now been developed, which have already been installed at some EU airports - such as Rome and Milan - and which allow passengers to safely carry larger containers of liquids on board.
For technical reasons, the European Commission imposed a temporary restriction on new liquid detection systems last summer, which meant that the 100ml rule remained.
Since then, the Commission has tried to resolve the issue by working with the European Civil Aviation Commission (ECAC) to develop appropriate technical solutions.
A solution that was successfully tested was approved by the ECAC in June 2025. It is now up to manufacturers to immediately submit their equipment to the necessary tests. Once the detection equipment receives ECAC approval, the EU will give the green light allowing the inspection of containers of liquids larger than 100 ml.
Once approved, the equipment can be deployed for use at airports, which may happen "in the coming days," according to a Commission spokesperson who spoke to Euronews.
On the other hand, not all EU airports are equipped with the new explosives detection systems, which are generally more expensive than conventional control systems.
