Brussels, 16/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - The 26 large companies involved in the European market for security officially launched, on Wednesday 14 May, the European Organisation for Security (EOS) in the aim of giving a consistent structure to a market that is still too fragmented in Europe if it is compared to the defence market, and to bring effective protection to citizens and enterprise against present-day threats such as terrorism, crime and natural disasters. The world security market was worth €350 billion in 2006. US industry alone accounted for 45% of this total, EUROPE 31%, Asia 17% and the rest of the world 7%. Over the next five years, the EU market for security may be worth around €64 billion.
Around 300 security stakeholders from governments and industry gathered for the launch of the EOS during a two-day conference, with members of the security industry determined to get the message across that there is a real need for a far more integrated security market. “European countries and the European Union must take action now to end the many different approaches and solutions that prevent constructive cooperation across applications and countries”, said Luigi Rebuffi, CEO of EOS, speaking at the opening of the conference. Denis Ranque, CEO of Thales, one of the founding members of the EOS, said for his part that this new European organisation would show the extent to which European industries are committed to meeting the requirement for the highest levels of European security. “Our members each bring to the table a piece of the security puzzle necessary to ensure adequate protection of our borders, transport and critical infrastructures”, he added. Hervé Guillou, CEO of Defence and Communications Systems at EADS, said: “EOS will help build and promote a coherent EU security market by providing the essential connection between suppliers, users, policy makers and researchers”. He made various recommendations intended to support the security market: - the development of operational concepts and strategies to guide investment along the right lines; - the harmonisation of policies as a prerequisite for creation of a larger European market; - and the need for a well thought-out approach in terms of border controls, police cooperation, and customs so as to anticipate events such as a massive inflow of illegal immigrants. Compared to the United States, the EU has not yet been able to impose its policy when it comes to regulatory and technical standards. “We need governments to give impetus to regulations, standards, to allow us to develop a security market”, said Olivier Houssin, Director General responsible for the Security Solutions and Services Division of Thales.
On the side of the public powers, the secretary of state for the Slovenian Ministry of the Interior admitted that “cooperation between the public and private sectors on security is becoming closer and closer and there will be a great demand in the future for advanced technologies developed by the private sector”. He above all referred to the adoption next month of the decision which incorporates part of the Prüm Treaty (exchange of biometric data between police forces) as part of the acquis communautaire (EUROPE 9650). The European coordinator for counter-terrorism, Gilles de Kerchove, said that, with the prospect of the Lisbon Treaty's entry into force, the security sector would take on greater legitimacy, mainly through the suppression of the pillar structure. “There will no longer be a total of 27 different security systems”, he stressed.
Although European security took pride of place, the theme of defence was an integral part of the problem raised. “We need a horizontal approach in terms of defence and security technologies”, Mr Ranque stressed. The armaments advisor for the EU French representation, Jean-René Le Goff, said for his part that interoperability between the networks was essential in both spheres. The French White Paper on Defence, which is due to be presented on 11 June, covers a far broader range than defence (international terrorism, major health crises), he stressed. The Polish defence minister, Bogdan Klich, for his part, said the EU's international cooperation with other organisations was essential, especially with NATO, in order to be able to have a security area in Europe. Mr Rebuffi nonetheless considered it “too early” to contact NATO at this stage.
How to achieve a more structured security area in the EU? Christian Sommade, Executive Director of the French high committee on civil defence, felt that three ideas should be developed. First of all, the creation of a European network of national security fora composed, for example, of the ECSA (European Corporate Security Association) in Belgium or the French high committee on civil defence. Then a forum should be set up for European security stakeholders, as a link with the former. Finally, the European Internal Security Association, created in 2005, should be used as an external discussion platform with players such as the United States, NATO and the United Nations. (B.C.)