PBSA

Except where otherwise indicated, articles are copyright © by PBSA 2024. All rights reserved. PBSA Europe PAGE 3 July 2024 Screening Across Borders: Bridging Compliance and Culture Across European Horizons Thanks to Valerie Bertrand, Caroline Smith, and Harm Voogt, we had the opportunity to explore the interplay between compliance and cultural settings, as they often go hand in hand. We kicked off the discussion with a foundational product: the iconic criminal check. Valerie high- lighted the differences between the French criminal check and the German one, while Caroline compared the UK DBS check to its Irish counterpart. Interestingly, the German check is similar in spirit to the Dutch "Certificate of Conduct," whereas the French check is a straightforward record of the indi- vidual's judicial (criminal) file. Harm provided insights into why Sweden is becoming an emerging hot market, emphasizing the increasing demand for security among Swedish individuals. We then smoothly transitioned to data protection. The data protection authorities in the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany have not yet issued dedicated guidelines for background screening companies. France has issued guidance regarding recruitment, including a one-pager dedicated to pre-employment criminal checks, and the UK is in the process of issuing recruitment and selection guidelines. However, Germany and Sweden lack specific documentation at this stage, and further clarifications are needed from the authorities regarding screening practices. EUROPE COUNCIL LEADERSHIP Officers Alice Quinones Chair Lex11 Martin Hardy Chair Elect SP Index Europe Council Committee Leadership Board Liaison Susie Thomson Security Watchdog Marketing Martin Hardy SP Index Education & Industry Practices Alice Quinones Lex11 Government Relations & Trade Bodies Keith Rosser Reed Global Innovation Laura Rosianu Leade Innovation 2024 PBSA Europe Summit Recap Continued from page 1 Continued on page 4 Ideas Unleashed: The Opening Spark Alice Quinones, the PBSA Europe Council Chair opened the Summit with an inspiring speech, outlining the exciting agenda for the day and painting a compelling picture of PBSA's future direction. Justis Unveiled: Dive into the Dynamics of Certificates of Conduct Frits Broers covered the topic of Certificates of Conduct (VOGs) in the Netherlands. The session explored the role of Justis, the official assessors, and how they evaluate criminal records against job requirements. " The focus areas when doing a background check are different in the various countries. In Sweden, right now the focus is on security checks, while in the Netherlands, the focus is much more on integrity (diplomas and work experience checks). Culture, economic cycles as well as general political/societal developments play a role." - Harm Voogt

• Cover