The European Security Systems Association (ESSA) e.V. is the leading association for physical security products providing protection against burglary and fire as well as for high security locks – at European and international level.

The ESSA offers the international security industry a global platform for the exchange of experience between users, insurers, public authorities and manufacturers. In addition, the ESSA represents the interests of its members in a wide variety of international committees and publishes press releases on topical security-related subjects on a regular basis. The ESSA observes the market in order to identify market restrictions and takes measures, if and where necessary, in order to help its members to overcome trade barriers.

Furthermore, the ESSA supports neutral and independent European Certification Body (ECB) with the aim to strengthen the latter`s transparent certification procedure for physical security products and increase the acceptance of the ECB•S certificate in the world market.

The ESSA is recognized the world over and is headquartered in Frankfurt/Main. It has more than 125 members from industry, trade and associations of the security industry. Its members come from 33 countries.

Frankfurt/Main, 21 September 2012

Pursuant to its guiding principle "Quality provides Security", European Certification Body (ECB) granting the ECB•S certification mark as a neutral and independent certification body guarantees provision of security properties in accordance with the high requirements of the European Standards: e.g., EN 1143-1 for safes, EN 1047-1 for data cabinets, EN 14450 for secure safe cabinets and EN 1300 for high security locks.

In the type testing, certification and external quality surveillance of secure safe cabinets according to EN 14450, safes, ATM safes, strongrooms, deposit systems, etc. according to the EN 1143 series of European standards as well as high security locks according to EN 1300, European Certification Body, for quality reasons, only cooperates with the following testing laboratories which are recognized by the European Fire and Security Group (EFSG):

·         CNPP, Saint-Marcel/France

·         Istituto Giordano (IG), Bellaria/Italy

·         SP Boras, Stockholm/Sweden (no high security locks)

·         SSF Service AB, Stockholm/Sweden, and

·         VdS Laboratorien, Cologne/Germany.

Besides the certification bodies as, e.g., European Certification Body, the testing laboratories CNPP, IG, SP, SSF and VdS have signed the Multilateral Agreement (MA) on Safes and Strongrooms. With the signing of this Multilateral Agreement it is confirmed that the MA testing laboratories have an equivalent technical type-testing know-how.

In the type testing, certification and external quality surveillance of data cabinets and data rooms according to the EN 1047 series of European standards as well as light fire storage units according to EN 15659, European Certification Body cooperates with the ECB-recognized cooperation partners MPA Braunschweig, MPA Dresden and SP Boras.

A neutral certification body in accordance with EN 45011, European Certification Body at present has over 1000 valid ECB·S certificates for burglary resistance and fire resistance products as well as high security locks in the global security market. More than 1.7 million ECB·S certification marks have been delivered to the certificate holders. As a result, European Certification Body is one of the leading certification services providers for security products in the international security industry. For the ECB·S product certifications, European standards are used as a basis. Starting in autumn 2012, ECB additionally issues certificates for burglary resistant security doors according to EN 1627.

The ECB·S certification mark is offering the user maximum security in investment decisions. For the insurance sector, it constitutes a sure basis for the calculation of risks and the resulting insurance grading. The ECB·S certificate of European Certification Body is recognized in the global security market by the major insurance companies.

Frankfurt/Main, 21 September 2012