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'Private Security in Europe – CoESS Facts & Figures 2008'

CoESS is proud to present the official outcomes of its research project 'Private Security in Europe – CoESS Facts & Figures 2008 ' , which was initiated earlier this year and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the private security industry. The study covers a wide geographical area targeting a total of 34 countries, i.e. the 27 EU Member States as well as 7 other European countries: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey. It allows for an updated and accurate outline of the private security sector focusing on the legal, social and economic realities within the 34 countries, and looks to identify similarities and differences among these countries. CoESS' Facts & Figures 2008 is the only available analysis at European level to offer representative and exhaustive statistical and factual information about the European private security industry today!

From July 15 to 22, 2008, CoESS' Secretary-General, Hilde De Clerck, was invited by SIA, the South-African Security Industry Alliance, South-Africa's national confederation for the private security industry, to attend an intensive study visit in Johannesburg and Pretoria. CoESS and SIA have signed a landmark Agreement of Understanding, making
European security technology and training methods available to the South-African security sector. The agreement, signed on behalf of SIA by Chairman Sibusiso Ncube, sets out to raise the quality of services offered in South-Africa and to improve the training and working conditions of private security staff. CoESS is convinced that this agreement will enable the development of an intensive cooperation with the South-African private security industry through the exchange of information, best practices, mutual assistance, joint meetings and exchange programs.

From June 23 to 26, 2008, CoESS' Secretary-General, Hilde De Clerck, was invited by the Cyprus Association of Security Companies, member of CoESS, to attend a three-day seminar. During this visit, the Secretary-General had the opportunity to meet with the Cypriot Board of Directors and to discuss Cyprus ' current private security market situation. The Cypriot association hosted a seminar during which the Secretary-General delivered a detailed presentation on CoESS and on the main challenges the private security industry is faced with throughout Europe . The Secretary-General also met with Dr. Kypros Chrysostomides, Minister of Justice and Public Order, and with Mr. Costas Hadjipavlou, Senior Administrative Officer at the Ministry of Justice and Public Order. As Cyprus is currently in the process of finalising a Bill on Private Security Companies, both meetings were very timely and offered the Secretary-General the possibility to discuss the draft Bill.

CoESS received a membership application from USP, Union des entreprises de Sécurité Privée, the third French private security association next to SNES, Syndicat National des Entreprises de Sécurité, and FEDESFI, Fédération des Entreprises de la Sécurité Fiduciaire, also members of CoESS. The CoESS Board of Directors unanimously agreed to the membership of USP, which will be effective as of July 1, 2008. For further information on the activities of USP, please consult their website.

The European Commission recently produced two videos on the ‘European Social Dialogue' (16 minutes) and on the ‘European Agreement on Telework' (14 minutes). Both videos can be watched on the European Commission website in English and in French. To view the videos, please click here.

Jorma Hakala, Vice-President of the CoESS Working Committee Guarding and member of the Finish CoESS member federation, ASSI, published on February 1, 2008 a report entitled 'Why regulate manned private security? ' on the reasons and requirements for private security regulation as expressed by representatives of governments, industry associations and academia. The report comprises a structured summary presentation of the ‘reasons and goals' argumentation used by different interest groups to support statutory regulation of private manned security services. The results show that even if the private security regulation is diversified and the practical execution of rules differs considerably from country to country, the main reasons for and goals of the industry-specific statutory regulation are to some extent identical globally. Primarily strong constitutional, public and institutional interests have been and still are the driving forces behind this sort of legislation in societies. The reasons and goals can be grouped into three main categories:

- Constitutional requirements, such as protection of individual human rights, maintaining the state monopoly on violence and the definition of the public/private division of labour in security work;

- Public interest requirements, such as exclusion of unsuitable elements from the industry, guaranteeing of security providers' accountability and control of weapons in private security work;

- Professional requirements, such as the elimination of ‘cowboy' companies from the business, the setting of minimum ethical and quality standards for the industry's activities, the organising of industry-specific training and the guaranteeing of proper terms of employment for security officers.

On December 13, 2007 EU leaders signed the Treaty of Lisbon, thus bringing to an end several years of negotiation about institutional issues. The Treaty of Lisbon amends the current EU and EC treaties, without replacing them. It will provide the European Union with the legal framework and tools necessary to meet future challenges and to respond to citizens' demands. The key objectives of the Treaty of Lisbon can be summarised as follows:

- A more democratic and transparent Europe ;
- A more efficient Europe ;
- A Europe of rights and values, freedom, solidarity and security;
- Europe as an actor on the global stage.

To review the amendments to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community, please click here. For further in-depth background information on the Treaty of Lisbon, please consult the European Commission website.
 

On December 4-5, 2007 CoESS participated in a conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, on the development of the Social Dialogue within the Bulgarian private security sector. NAFTSO, the Bulgarian National Association of Industrial Security Companies, member of CoESS, actively contributed to the development of the Social Dialogue and also took part in this conference as a member of and organised by BUSI. BUSI, the Bulgarian Union of Security Industry, was established in April 2007 and unites three private security associations, i.e. NAFTSO, NAFOTS (National Association of Technical Equipment-Based Security Companies) and BCPS (Bulgarian Chamber for Protection and Security). The three associations unite some seventy-two private security companies employing over 20 000 guards. From that point onwards, the contacts already established by NAFTSO with CITUB (Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria) and more particularly with FITUSAO-CITUB (Federation of Independent Trade Unions from the State Administration and Organisations), of whom TUWSB (Trade Union of Workers in the Security Business) is an active member, continued through the BUSI platform. In August 2007, an agreement on the minimum social security thresholds for the private security sector was agreed. On September 12, 2007 a cooperation agreement was signed between BUSI and FNSDUO-CITUB. All parties involved have demonstrated a strong determination to further develop the Social Dialogue within the Bulgarian private security sector. A copy of the cooperation agreement can be downloaded here in PDF format.

On November 16-17, 2007 CoESS delivered a lecture on CoESS' organisational structure, goals and initiatives at the second edition of the International Security Conference ‘Private Security – a Commonplace Reality and a Social Need', organised by the Coordinating Committee of Romanian Private Security Services (CCRPSS), member of CoESS. The two-day Conference was organised in the World Trade Center in Bucharest, Romania. Speakers included Mr. Rt. Hon. Bruce George (MP), Mr. Peter Jones, Dr. Mark Button, Mr. Ken Livingstone, Mr. Gordon Lilly, Mr. Gabriel Mihai Badea (Chairman of the Romanian Security Industry Association), Ms. Adeline Palade, Mr. Aurel Catrinoiu, Dr. Ingo Pas and Ms. Hilde De Clerck, Secretary-General of CoESS. The Conference focused on topics such as:

• Security regulations – adjustment to economic reality and security services quality;
• Introduction to retail security;
• Security failure;
• Risk communication and security;
• Event security;
• Legislative framework of security services;
• Potential improvements of Romanian security regulations;
• And others.

CoESS would hereby like to thank the Romanian federation for its kind invitation to participate in this Conference.

CCRPSS has written a press release on the Conference, which can be downloaded here in PDF format. For further information on the Romanian federation, please visit the Patrosec and ARIS website.
 

On November 13-16, 2007 CoESS participated in the ‘Sicherheit 2007' conference, a showcase for the safety and security industry, co-hosted by VSSU, the Association of Swiss Security Service Companies, member of CoESS. The four-day conference was organised in the Exhibition Centre Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland. The sixteenth edition of the Sicherheit conference was again a forum for dialogue between seasoned industry experts. The conference mainly focused on the standards of the safety and security industry of tomorrow.

CoESS would hereby like to thank Wolfram Manner from VSSU, who was kind enough to personally guide CoESS through the conference, and who organised an interview with CoESS' Secretary-General, Ms. Hilde De Clerck.

For further information on this and future Sicherheit conferences, please click here. For further information on the Swiss federation, VSSU, please click here.

2) On October 23, 2007 the following European Commission proposals were adopted:

1. A directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of highly qualified employment. Both the European Commission communication and the EU memo are available for download in PDF format.
2. And a directive on a single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State. Both the European Commission communication and the EU memo are available for download in PDF format.