The 3 Most Urgent Questions from the ABRO Q&A

Official explanation
ABRO is a set of security requirements for companies doing business with the Dutch government, Defense, and the police. The requirements are intended to limit risks to national security, for example around espionage, cyberattacks, data breaches or sabotage of vital infrastructure.¹

Our interpretation
This is therefore not only about defense companies. Suppliers in construction, technology, ICT, or consultancy who work on assignments that could affect national security will also be affected by this. Without demonstrable ABRO conformity, participation becomes more difficult or impossible.

Official explanation
ABRO will enter into force no earlier than December 1, 2025.² Implementation will be phased (in so-called "tranches"): first at ministries, their agencies and the police, with a maximum of two years to fully transition.³ Ongoing contracts remain under existing agreements (such as ABDO), new assignments that affect national security will be assessed against ABRO from the date of entry into force.⁴

Our interpretation
The "two years" feels generous, but screenings, process adjustments, and audits take a lot of time. Waiting until the first tender presents itself is risky: the chance of exclusion due to late preparation is real.

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Official explanation
ABRO contains requirements in five categories: governance & organization, personnel, physical, cyber, and cloud.⁵ Assessment is carried out by the National Bureau for Industrial Security (NBIV), established in March 2025 by AIVD and MIVD.⁶ NBIV investigations are free of charge; the investments to comply with ABRO are at the expense of the company.⁷ For trust functions, a Declaration of No Objection (VGB) is required, also at the expense of the company.⁸

Our interpretation
The impact is not in one extra certificate, but in setting up governance, HR processes, chain agreements, and demonstrable security across all five domains. Organizations that start early with a gap analysis and dossier building go through assessments more smoothly and stand stronger in tenders.

The ABRO FAQ mentions a number of logical first actions. In our trajectories, we see that these are often the crucial starting points:

•      Scope & risk determination
Use the National Security Quickscan (from NCTV) to determine which assignments are affected. We usually deepen this with a context and threat assessment, where we map the 'Interests to be Protected' (TBBs) and relevant threats.⁹

•      Ownership & HR
Appoint an internal ABRO owner (legal/procurement + security) and inventory which functions need a VGB. In our approach, we secure this through the Security Risk Framework (SRF), in which roles, responsibilities, and screening processes are structurally established.⁸

•      Gap analysis on 5 domains
Test policies, processes, physical measures, IT/cloud controls, and evidence against ABRO requirements. We do this with a baseline security audit: not checklists, but a realistic starting point that is effective in practice.⁵

ABRO 2025 is not just another new rule. It is a hard prerequisite for doing business with the government, defense, and police. The three core questions from the Q&A show that it's about more than ticking boxes: it affects your entire organization, costs time and money, but also delivers sustainable resilience and a stronger market profile.