TAPA EMEA certifications at record high, says Gruentjes

The Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) has confirmed “record take-up” of its supply chain security standards across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in the face of the growing threat of cargo crime throughout the region.
TAPA’s Incident Information Service reported a rise of 10.3% rise in recorded cargo crimes across EMEA during 2017, with a total of 2,880 incidents representing a total loss of over €105m.
At the end of 2017, there were 645 locations in the region with TAPA Facility Security Requirements (FSR) certifications and 126 companies meeting the Trucking Security Requirements (TSR) standard.
Mark Gruentjes, TAPA EMEA’s standards lead, explained: “The number of TAPA FSR and TSR certifications in the EMEA region is now higher than at any time in our 20-year history. Not only are more companies recognising the value of operating TAPA-approved facilities and trucking services to combat rising crime, the increase can also be attributed to more manufacturers asking or requiring their logistics service providers to meet the requirements of TAPA Security Standards.”
Another factor in that increase is TAPA’s ‘STEP UP, STAND OUT’ campaign launched two years ago. Since then, FSR certifications have risen by 46.6% and TSR certifications by 85.3%.
The association continues to work towards minimising cargo losses from the supply chain. It will roll out a new Parking Security Requirements (PSR) security standard this year with the aim of helping to establish a network of secure parking places for trucks, particularly in Europe.
In 2017, 89.9% or 2,019 of the recorded losses occurred when trucks stopped in unsecured parking locations, TAPA said.