Private security workers protect citizens, safeguard Critical Infrastructure and support public emergency services every day, including in times of crisis. However, the statement points out that their contribution is still not fully reflected in EU policy and preparedness planning.

A central concern is the impact of lowest-price public procurement on the sector. According to CoESS and UNI Europa, current practices undermine working conditions, reduce job attractiveness and weaken service quality, contributing to labour shortages. This directly affects Europe’s ability to respond to emergencies.

To address this, the statement calls for a revision of the EU Public Procurement Directive to promote quality-based awards and fair competition. It proposes that contracts should be awarded based on a balanced price-quality ratio and only to companies that comply with labour and sectoral rules.

The EU sectoral Social Partners also stress that preparedness depends on a stable and trained workforce in normal times. Rapid mobilisation during crises is only possible if sufficient qualified personnel are available and properly trained.

In addition, CoESS and UNI Europa call for closer cooperation with sectoral Social Partners to improve career attractiveness in security services, address labour shortages and support training and skills development. They recently concluded the EU-funded project "INTEL", looking into attractive careers in security and expectations of young security workers (www.securityskills.eu).

The joint statement concludes that private security should be recognised as an essential partner in Europe’s preparedness efforts, with a stronger role in policy, planning and coordination.

The full statement can be found here.