
Article 1 
The following Article 3a is inserted into Regulation (EC) No 622/2003:
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Article 3a 

1. Member States may allow a technical method or process for security controls that is used in place of those laid down in the Annex, provided that:
(a) it is being used for the purpose of evaluating a new way of performing the security control concerned, and
(b) it will not negatively affect the overall level of security being attained.
2. At least four months before its planned introduction the Member State concerned shall inform in writing the Commission and the other Member States of the proposed new method or process it intends to allow, enclosing an assessment indicating how it shall guarantee that the application of the new method or process will meet the requirement of point (b) of paragraph 1. The notification shall also contain detailed information on the location(s) where the method or process will be used and the intended length of the evaluation period.
3. If the Commission gives the Member State a positive reply, or if no reply is received within three months upon receipt of the written request, the Member State may then allow the introduction of the new method or process.If the Commission is not satisfied that the proposed new method or process provides sufficient guarantees that the overall level of aviation security will be maintained in the Community then the Commission shall inform the Member State thereof within three months of receipt of the notification referred to in paragraph 2, explaining its concerns. In such a circumstance the Member State concerned shall not commence with the method or process until it has satisfied the Commission.
4. The maximum evaluation period for each technical method or process shall be 18 months. This evaluation period may be extended by the Commission by a maximum of a further 12 months on condition that the Member State provides adequate justification for the extension.
5. At intervals of no more than six months during the evaluation period, the appropriate authority in the Member State concerned shall provide the Commission with a progress report on the evaluation. The Commission shall inform the other Member States of the contents of the progress report.
6. No evaluation period may be longer than 30 months.'
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.Done at Brussels, 13 January 2006.
For the Commission
Jacques BARROT
Vice-President