Aviation security authorities in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and France have recently implemented a ban on using explosive detection dogs (EDD) as the primary method of screening hermetically sealed (airtight) packaging. This ban comes after recent experiments showed that screening barrels using EDDs is not sufficient to obtain reasonable assurance that prohibited articles are not included in consignments, as required by EU regulation (EU) 2015/1998 chapter 6.2.1.

As a result of this ban, exporters and shippers moving goods in hermetically sealed containers via air cargo out of Europe are recommended to become an approved Known Consignor, change the packaging of their goods, or use a different mode of transportation to minimize disruptions to their supply chains.

France has gone one step further and imposed prohibitions on hermetically sealed packaging with a capacity of more than 25 liters. This ban will come into effect on April 1, 2024, and will apply to all shipments presented for screening in France.

The French Authorities (DSAC) have offered a 6-month transition period to comply with these requirements. Exporters can complete a questionnaire and send it to DSAC via email, and the DSAC will authorize the exporter to continue to ship hermetically sealed containers out of France regardless of their capacity until September 30, 2024. This applies to exporters that are not based in France as well.

EU regulation (EU) 2015/1998 can be found here:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02015R1998-20230401