Following on September 11, 2001, regulations relating to Security for maritime shipping and ports in the IMO have been developed. These regulations, largely laid down in the so-called "International Ship & Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code", came into force on July 1, 2004 and apply to all passenger ships and to cargo ships larger than 500 GT (for both applies to international travel ) and on port facilities that receive these types of
ships. The regulations form part of the Safety Agreement (SOLAS) and relate to equipment, training and a quality / care system for Security. These requirements must be met, otherwise ships (without certificate) can not participate in international traffic.

The EU has adopted the Regulation (EC) Nr. 725/2004. This goes beyond the IMO regulations. This regulation entered into force on 1 July 2004.
Further information can be found via the websites of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT), Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, EU, IMO and Royal Association for Dutch Shipowners (KVNR).
Current contact information about security can be found on the website www.ilent.nl