The activities of guarding and surveillance companies are regulated under the 2002 law Patricia Pitsch/Maison Moderne Publishing

The activities of guarding and surveillance companies are regulated under the 2002 law Patricia Pitsch/Maison Moderne Publishing

The activities of guarding and surveillance companies are regulated under a 2002 law, covering surveillance of property, management of alarm centres, transport of cash or valuables and the protection of persons.

In recent years, the sector has evolved and security agents are increasingly sought after for roles not covered by the law, such as monitoring events in public spaces.

Sam Tanson (déi gréng) confirmed the need for a reform which would clarify provisions. Tanson said the Belgian and French models could offer suggestions for the legislative reform.

The discussion was prompted by questions from the Pirate party, following the controversial decision by the Luxembourg City council to pay security staff to patrol the Gare and upper town districts of the capital. The authority said that agents would not replace the actions of police. Internal security minister Henri Kox said that other preventative measures should be considered in fighting crime, such as social support, since repression alone would not solve the issue.

If the law is expanded to include other roles, it is unlikely to find opposition from the security sector which has been campaigning for greater professionalisation and recognition of the skills required by security agents in Luxembourg. G4S Security, for instance, has been sending Belgian agents to butler school, to meet security demands from the hospitality sector, and has revamped its training to further professionalise the role.