ESS&SA Becomes First Non UK Member to the SCEG

On Tuesday the 7th of June ESS&SA has officially been accepted as the first non UK member to the Security in Complex Environments Group (SCEG).

SCEG was established in 2011 and has been working to raise standards and regulation for the private security sector operating in complex environments, on both the land and maritime domain. It is a membership organization that acts on behalf of its members to encourage the adoption of appropriate international standards and regulations. As a result, SCEG has always expected high standards from its members and expects them to be fully compliant with international and national legislation, including trade laws and licenses. Furthermore, SCEG strongly advocates that private security companies have accredited certifications against appropriate international standards, such as the ISO 28007 for private maritime security companies.

Director of SCEG Paul Gibson stated: “We are delighted that ESS&SA has joined the Security in Complex Environments Group. We expect our members to operate to the highest professional standards and ESS&SA has an excellent reputation for adopting and promoting standards across the sector. SCEG has worked with ESS&SA over several years and it is therefore entirely appropriate that ESS&SA is the first non UK company to join SCEG”.

ESS&SA hopes that cooperating with SCEG will help to positively influence the political debate on private maritime security companies in the Netherlands. SCEG has played an important role in the policy making process when the British government allowed private maritime security companies to operate on British flagged vessels in 2011. ESS&SE hopes that the expertise of SCEG in the policy making process will be of use when then Dutch House of Representatives decides on the legalization of maritime security operators on Dutch vessels on 23 June 2016.

ESS&SA is the first, and currently the only, Dutch PMSC to have achieved certification against the ISO 28007.  ISO 28007 is a quality and risk management system especially designed for PMSCs and ensures that ESS&SA can execute its services undermining all affiliated risks and therewith ensuring the shipowners of high quality protection of all seafarers. Currently, only this ISO process ensures a waterproof system for controlled and qualitative strong protection of merchant vessels. ESS&SA has always aimed to provide high quality security services. Joining SCEG is therefore seen as the next logical step towards furthering this goal. ESS&SA is delighted to join SCEG and looks forward to a fruitful cooperation.