Brussels, 04/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 4 September, the Commission adopted a Green Paper on detection technologies and associated technologies aiming to allow law-enforcement authorities, customs services and other security services of the Member States of the EU effectively to prevent attempts on their security. "Modern detection technology has an important role to play in the fight against crime and terrorism", said the European Commissioner with responsibility for Internal Affairs, Franco Frattini, who feels that the recent events in the United Kingdom serve once again to demonstrate that detection instruments must be improved if they are to react to the new terrorist and criminal threats and to ensure that everybody can travel safely. Detection technologies are used on a daily basis more and more by the police authorities to fight terrorism and crime and to protect the citizens (access to public transport- aeroplanes and ships- participation in sporting events, the consumption of foodstuffs, etc). The Green Paper has the principal objective of stimulating public-private partnerships to promote the development of the market related to detection technologies, affording the Member States the possibility of acquiring state-of-the-art equipment at low prices. Mr Frattini has issued a press release in which he acknowledges the vital need to establish efficient public-private dialogue on security and the better to focus on investments for standardisation, research, the certification of detection tools, and in order to transform the result of this research into easily-applied tools. If the Commission intends to play the role of catalyst in the emergence of this market, it must put guarantees into place concerning the protection of privacy. "We must analyse the impact that this will have on the fundamental rights and data protection", Commissioner Frattini's spokesperson reiterated. The Commission's Green Paper is based on the results of the conference held in Brussels in late 2005, and which was attended by representatives of the Member States of the EU and European industries from the detection sector (EUROPE 9084). Responses to the Green Paper can be sent in until 10 January 2007. Then, the Commission may launch an action plan. It is with an eye to boosting public-private dialogue that Mr Frattini is to inaugurate the conference on "The Security of Explosives" to be held in Brussels on 9 and 10 October (initially scheduled for 7 and 8 November). The conference will, amongst other things, see a debate on the components of explosives including liquids, detection, traceability, transport and storage.