The upcoming elections will set the course of the EU in the next five years, and are very important for the security industry: rarely has European legislation had such an impact on the security industry as it did under the incumbent Parliament and Commission. This ranges from dossiers such as the EU Directive on the Resilience of Critical Entities to the EU AI Act, the EU Data Act, the EU Drone Strategy 2.0, and the many new legal frameworks in social policies. As a result of the current legislative term, security companies will have to comply with many new European laws.

The increased focus on security and resilience in EU legislation shows the importance of security as an enabler of business, the economy and society as a whole. It is therefore crucial that the EU Institutions pay attention to  the security industry’s recommendations for the next legislative period. To this end, CoESS publishes today an EU Election Manifesto with a set of 5 holistic recommendations on how to create a more secure Europe in all its dimensions:

1. For a social Europe: CoESS calls for a better promotion of Social Dialogue and a revision of the EU Public Procurement Directives to ensure that public money is spent on fair working conditions and quality services.
2. For an attractive Europe: The EU must reinforce important initiatives to tackle labour and skills shortages. CoESS is also calling for an EU Council Recommendation to facilitate cross-border background checks of security personnel within the EU.
3. For a resilient Europe: CoESS makes proposals to promote existing quality standards in security services at EU level and to support public-private partnership frameworks between security companies and authorities.
4. For an innovative Europe: EU law should support and promote innovation in essential services such as the security industry - for example in the use of drones. Also, further initiatives are needed to promote AI literacy.
5. For a competitive Europe: In the next legislative period, it is important to effectively assess the cumulative impact of EU legislation on competitiveness and employment and, if necessary, take corrective action.

With the Manifesto, CoESS reaffirms its commitment to continue to be a key partner to the EU institutions after the European elections, building on the important work done by the incumbent European Parliament and Commission. To support the EU in formulating future security policies, CoESS will continue to make valuable proposals for better regulation and the exchange of best practices through its activities in the European Commission Expert Groups, Social Dialogue and Standardisation. The Manifesto can be found here.