Unambiguous security requirements (ABRO) for public contracts with risks to national security
What changes?
Are you an entrepreneur and do you carry out assignments for the central government or the police? New contracts may be subject to the General Security Requirements for Central Government Contracts (Algemene Beveiligingseisen voor Rijksoverheidsopdrachten, ABRO). These security requirements apply to the entire central government in case of assignments that pose risks to national security.
The ABRO is based on the security requirements the Ministry of Defence has been using for decades (ABDO). National Industrial Security Agency (Nationaal Bureau Industrieveiligheid, NBIV) will check whether the prospective contractor meets the ABRO requirements. The NBIV will also monitor this during the assignment. An assignment that is subject to the ABRO is called a ‘special assignment’.
What does ABRO mean for your company?
Are there any risks to national security associated with a public contract? Then the client must first consider whether they can take measures themselves to reduce these risks. If that is not possible or not sufficiently possible, the contractor must apply ABRO to the procurement. The client then asks the NBIV to research the company that will carry out the assignment. Before the special assignment is awarded the NBIV advises the client whether the contractor complies with the ABRO. The special assignment will only go ahead with such an ABRO declaration. The NIBV will also monitor compliance with the ABRO requirements during the assignment.
Examples of situations in which the ABRO applies are:
- Information is being shared with you that is classified as departmental CONFIDENTIAL (departementaal VERTROUWELIJK), state secret CONFIDENTIAL (staatsgeheim CONFIDENTIEEL), state secret SECRET (staatsgeheim GEHEIM), or state secret TOP SECRET (staatsgeheim ZEER GEHEIM), or the police versions thereof.
- You will have access to a special location, such as a data centre.
- You work with computer system or software for the government.
- You work in or on special buildings, such as a prison.
The NIBV will advise the client whether your company complies with the ABRO. It depends on the type of assignment and on the Interests To Be Protected (Te Beschermen Belangen) which parts of ABRO apply to a specific assignment.
The ABRO has 5 chapters. The first 2 chapters, that cover management, organisation, and personnel, are always applicable.
- chapter 1 concerns management and organisation
- chapter 2 concerns personnel
- chapter 3 concerns physical security
- chapter 4 concerns cyber security
- chapter 5 concerns cloud services
When?
The General Security Requirements for Central Government Contracts (Algemene Beveiligingseisen voor Rijksoverheidsopdrachten, ABRO) will apply from 1 January 2026. The ministries, including their departments and agencies, and the police, will implement the ABRO in phases. Existing contracts with the Ministry of Defence covered by ABDO will not change with the ABRO.