List of "secure" countries?
 

Is there a list of which countries are considered "secure" where arrival flights are exempt from transfer security?

The list of third countries is attached below. All EU member states are, naturally, considered as "safe".

Note: checks can be imposed on any flight or any origin for any number of reasons.

Specifically TLV/Israel, which did have the transfer security check. A little bit of a surprise given how stringent Israeli airports are.

Thank you!

That's a really short list! I know you mentioned the EU states are automatically included.

That TLV/Israel does not appear on the list is probably more because no EU airline sought to have it placed on the list (perhaps due to comparitively low numbers of pax originating from there that transfer in EU airports) rather than meaning its absence should be interpreted as meaning that the security checks carried out at TLV/Israel do not or would not meet EU security standards.

Never transited in Europe before, does this mean you get spit out at the gate and the first people you see after de-planing are pax in the waiting area?

Or do you still go through a sterile concourse where you get funneled off into a fork in the road for connections and immigration?

Depends on the airport. AMS yes directly to the waiting area. CDG for instance you have a different route to take, but you eventually end up in the same area without having to go through any sort of checks (it just takes a bit of walking to reach back the departure level)