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PrintEuropean security: an urgent issue for the EU and the Baltics (part I)
Photo I. |
The Commission
reported on progress made towards a new effective and genuine security union, which is going to include several European priorities
like countering radicalisation, enhancing cybersecurity and protecting public
spaces. Security is approached by the Commission in a broader sense; it was identified
by the Commission as a key priority in the Joint Declaration on the EU's
legislative priorities for 2018-19.
Together with the
European Defence Industry Summit –another event which gathered professionals from across
the European defence industry, these two conferences provided a complex analysis
and approaches towards a defence union, international cooperation with non-EU
actors, cyber security, cyber defence technology and innovation as well as the role
of SME’s in defence procurement.
The media seminar
on security research was organised by the European Commission DG (Directorate ‑General)
on Migrations and Home Affairs, which is also responsible for security issues. We
intend to publish more information on security issues in Europe.
Researching the security issues
Photo II. |
Security is a complex issue for
any states, as well as for the EU “family”; generally, numerous issues are included
in the “security notion”, such as the quality or state of being secure with such “freedoms” as freedom from
danger (so-called personal safety), from fear or anxiety, from being laid off (so-called
job security), from financial disasters and so on and so forth.
Plus some
measures and/or actions that secures state/individual protection, i.e. like
measures against espionage, sabotage, crime, attack, terrorism, etc. as well as
the organization of the security’s tasks, e.g. the department of homeland
security in the US (https://www.dhs.gov/).
Reference to the
Webster’s dictionary at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/security
The Security Research Event, or SRE-2018 annual seminar (which
took place in Brussels, 5-6 December 2018), illustrated the research potentials
in better assessment of security issues in Europe and perspective innovative activities.
Hence, the main idea of the seminar was “Making Europe a safer place -
demonstrating the impact of EU-funded security research”.
Building on a deeper understanding of the issues at stake,
the event offered an excellent opportunity to discuss all relevant security
issues with the policy makers, practitioners, researchers and industry in a
debate on how to shape a more innovative and safer Europe. Seminar’s speakers
included high-ranking EU’s officials, including the Security Commissioner, ministers
and other member states’ representatives, as well as experts from the EU institutions,
agencies and international bodies.
There were the
following sessions at the SRE-18 conference: two high-level panels: “Making
Europe a safer place” and “From the lab to real life: defence projects
afterlife”; and several parallel panel sessions: such as citizens’
awareness, counter-terrorism, boarder security, combating fires and disasters,
radicalization, cybercrime and maritime security.
The list of speakers
included: Paraskevi Michou, Direstor General DG Home (welcoming speech),
Norbert Hofer, Austrian Minister for transport, innovation and technology; Julian
King, Commissioner for security union; Dan Nica, MEP.
At the media seminar
with Brooks Tigner as a moderator, the following speakers participated: Andrea
de Candiddo from the DG Home in charge of innovation and industry
for security; Phil Waters from
the US Department of Homeland Security; Alberto de Benedictis from the
Commission’s protection and security advisory group; Valeria Bricola,
head of the sector project management in the Research Executive Agency, and David
Caballero with specialisation in combating forest fires from MeteoGrid. (see
media panel picture -I).
Norbert Hofer and
Julian King also participated at the media’s seminar closing session (see photo-II).
Administering European security
Photo III. |
Up to October
2018, there have been sixteen progress reports on the European security Union’s issues; during two year’s history, the field “produced”
already over 81 thousand different papers and documents. First progress report
towards an effective and genuine security
union was adopted in October
2016, the first “product” of a newly appointed Sir Julian King, European
Commissioner for the Security Union in collaboration with the Security Union Taskforce.
See more in: https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/migration-and-home-affairs_en
In the DG for migration & home affairs there is a
special secretariat of the task force on security union and two directorates: D – for security issues (including police
cooperation, combating terrorism, organised crime, drug policy issues and
cybercrime); and E – for security
funds & financial resources (e.g. with national programs for Eastern
European states).
Reference to: https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/organigrammeseptember_en.pdf
Conclusion
In modern time, we have to get rid of the old-fashioned and
narrow approach to security as just a boarder control and adequate military
power. Modern “security” includes numerous things: home policy, financial
security and environmental quality, to name a few.
The SRE-18 seminar has revealed complex structure of the EU
security and innovation research spheres. These issues are of particular
interest for the Baltic States: security research budgets are very limited in
the Baltics being mostly tight-up with the defense budgets limited to 2% of GDP
according to the NATO’s rules. So, it’s quite important to use the limited resources
in the most efficient manner. In particular, as the SRE-18 revealed, the
security research is much broader (or probably better to say, quite different)
than the defence and military ones.
Although it is difficult separate security and defence, many
spheres are interrelated: huge exhibition during the event has showed it quite
well! (see photo-III).
The new EU “security union” is going to stay as its
priorities suggest.
See more: https://europa.eu/newsroom/events/security-research-event-sre-2018_en;
and
https://www.securityresearch-cou.eu/events.