Stockholm, 02/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - The annual meeting of all those involved in security research in Europe was held in Stockholm on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 September. Opening this fourth conference (SRC'09), Günter Verheugen stressed "the need to keep a balance between security and freedom". "Total risk avoidance means total control, and that's exactly what we don't want". Reiterating that the proportion of the budget of the seventh framework programme for research given over to security research is 1.4 billion euros (equating to around 200 million a year), the vice-president of the European Commission paid tribute to the work carried out by the ESRIF (European Security Research & Innovation Forum) to establish an agenda for work in this sector. This work will help to develop the communication currently being drafted by his services and those of Commissioner Barrot (JFS), with a view to adoption in the next few weeks. This communication will lay emphasis on the development of European capacity, standardisation and certification, Günter Verheugen explained. In the future, investments must be concentrated on networks (as this is where vulnerability and risks are the highest, he explained), particularly cyberspace, energy distribution networks, and transport and water infrastructure.
Amongst other things, the debate highlighted the importance of taking account of ethical issues in designing technological research and development projects. This point of view was defended by Anke Van Gorp (TNO, Netherlands), whilst one of the leaders of the INDECT project (development of an intelligent information system supporting observation, searching and detection for security of citizens in the urban environment, at a cost of 15 million euros over five years, with Community funding of nearly 11 million), Andrzej Dziech, pleaded in favour of research freedom, preferring to leave it up to political decision-makers to decide on the use of the results at a subsequent date. Anke Van Gorp also warned against the vicious circle in which a security measure creates a new vulnerability, which in turn calls for a new security measure (she referred to the creation of a digital fingerprint register in the Netherlands, which will require new measures for the protection of this register). The security manager for the airports of Stockholm, Anders Lennerman, stressed the importance and complexity of security in air transport, but was forced to acknowledge that measures such as the ban on carrying liquids "went too far" and take insufficient account of the point of view of the passengers and quality of life.
"In the field of security, we have a strong industrial and technological basis", said Paul Weissenberg, who pleaded for a European industrial policy to be developed in this sector. In this context, certification, validation and standardisation are vital. He went on to call for the creation of more synergies with the European Defence Agency. Like Alexander Weis (EUROPE/Documents N. 2523), he believes that it is necessary to move from a case-by-case approach (cooperation between the services and Commission and the EDA on software radio) to "a more systematic approach". Lastly, Europe must invest more in this sector and, against the current backdrop of crisis, take advantage of all synergies between the Member States and the EU.
The next conference will be held in the Kursaal of Ostende on 23 and 24 September 2010. For more information, see our specialist publication Europe Diplomacy & Defence. (O.J./trans.fl)