The European Commission launched the European Security Research and Innovation Forum (ESRIF) on Tuesday to strengthen the public-private partnership on security research and innovation.
The move came on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States, and just about one week after Denmark and Germany foiled terror attempts.
"By ensuring the link between security research and innovation by the private sector and research centers and security policy making, it will enable a long term approach to deliver effective policies and ultimately better security for EU citizens," the European Commission said in a statement.
Security research can lead to the development of concrete and useful technology like optical identification of explosives and video detection systems while preserving the civil liberties of EU citizens, said the statement.
European Commission Vice-President Gunter Verheugen, responsible for enterprise and industry policy, said that the launch of ESRIF will lead to coherent security research programming and funding between European and national public authorities and the private sector.
"One of Europe's main objectives is to preserve its values of an open society and civil liberties, whilst addressing the increased security threat," he said. "Europe must also secure its competitiveness and economy against an increased threat. Today, to guarantee security without the support of technology is almost impossible."
European Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini, responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, said that security is a long term challenge, which must be addressed by a long term policy supported by research and cooperation with the private sector.
According to the Commission statement, the creation of ESRIF will complement the EU legislation and funding programs aiming to increase security for EU citizens.
It can pave the way for closer integration of security-related EU initiatives and between the private, public sectors and research institutions, said the statement. In particular, ESRIF can help identify priority areas for standard-setting at EU level and to streamline the scattered security research activities in the EU.
The statement also said that public-private dialogue in the field of security research is of paramount importance to increase the security of infrastructures, fight organized crime and terrorism, help restore security in a crisis and improve surveillance and border control.
ESRIF will present a Joint Security Research Agenda toward the end of 2009, which will contain recommendations to public authorities. ESRIF will exist for a limited period of time, until the end of 2009.
The EU has responded to the need for more security research with two seven-year Framework Programs in the area of security, with a total funding of 2.13 billion euros (2.9 billion U.S. dollars) over the 2007-2013 period.
The European Commission has just given the green light for new specific security research projects, such as optical technologies for the identification of explosives, localization of explosives in cities, video detection of abnormal behaviors in crowds and protection of large event against terrorists.
Source: Xinhua
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