Other news
In this issue:
Top stories |
From the Sections |
Technical Committee news |
Other news
Contents on this page:
Euralarm's new management team
Our lobbying agency's monthly reports
Security industry policy – Strengthening the European security industry
Euralarm 2011 survey – the verdict
Wire free alarms in the 868MHz to 870MHz spectrum
Euralarm's Ukraine visit opens doors
Euralarm's new management team
Euralarm is increasing its activity and influence significantly in the more rapidly changing world of standardisation.
More and more issues that affect our industry are the outcome of studies initiated by the European Commission and other international bodies. Euralarm therefore needs to ensure that the interests of its members are well represented at the time when policies and standards are first initiated.
To ensure that the increasing number of members' interests and plans are implemented in a timely and efficient manner, the role of the 'General Secretariat', or 'General Management' of the organisation has now been clearly defined within three key responsibilities. The professional team members of the General Secretariat consist of : 1) General Secretary, 2) General Director, 3) Technical Manager.
With the increasing activity of Euralarm, the General Secretary's role is to ensure a smooth operation behind the scenes, with an emphasis on the administration, financial topics and clear communication to the members. Dirk Gesenhues (right) has been with Euralarm for more than 12 years and General Secretary since 2001, and is instrumental in keeping the wheels rolling efficiently.
The current role of General Director is relatively new (as of July 2011) and focuses on helping to implement the strategic decisions of the Board, to intensify the Euralarm activities with an emphasis on lobbying, and representing Euralarm in many of the European based studies and reviews.
Glen Dale (left) was an Executive Committee member of the Security Section for several years before being appointed General Director last year.
Euralarm has always been strong in contributing to international security standards and has contributed to over 50 standards in the past five years. To maintain Euralarm's activities in this area, Marc Chenevoy (right) was appointed Technical Manager in summer 2011, succeeding Brian Harrington, responsible for monitoring and contributing to the key standards affecting our industry. Marc comes to Euralarm with over 20 years' experience in the security industry.
The General Management team is dedicated to helping Euralarm and its members achieve their goals and is always happy to receive feedback and ideas – please get in touch via secretariat@euralarm.org
Our lobbying agency's monthly reports
Since October 2011 we have been posting the monthly reports prepared by our lobbying agency Burson-Marsteller in the members' area of the Euralarm website (for details about the appointment of Burson-Marsteller, see the July 2011 Newsletter). An executive summary was recently distributed to all Euralarm members, together with a link to the February report.
Recent monitoring highlights
- The European Commission held two workshops on Security Research and Demonstration Projects, as part of its efforts to obtain stakeholders' views on the next call for proposals under the FP7 for Security Research, due in July 2012.
- One event focussed on the topic of supply chain security, and the second on a large-scale Demonstration Project in Crisis Management. On 28 February the Internal Market and Consumers Affairs Committee (IMCO) of the European Parliament held a discussion on the amendments presented to the report on European Standardization.
The discussion focussed on the inclusion and participation of stakeholders, particularly SMEs, as well as the scope of the proposed Directive on European Standardization and the inclusion of services. - In the European Parliament, Maria da Graca Carvalho MEP (EPP, Portugal) has been appointed rapporteur for the Specific Programme Implementing Horizon 2020, which will define the details of Horizon 2020's priority areas (scientific excellence, the creation of industry leadership, and responses to societal challenges). da Graca Carvalho MEP will meet with European stakeholders during a consultation aiming to integrate the different contributions that can be made to Horizon 2020.
- The Socialist and Democrat (S&D) Group in the European Parliament has called for an increase in the budget of the Horizon 2020 framework programme for research and innovation, and has vowed to push for an overall budget of €100 billion when the report is discussed in the European Parliament.
Details and relevant hyperlinks on these items and others can be found in the monthly reports posted in the members' area: euralarm.org/membersarea/. Meanwhile, progress on the report into European Standardisation is being closely monitored.
In order to improve our activities, better understand your expectations, and make sure we work in the most effective way for your benefit, we'd appreciate your help. Please feedback any comments on content/future emphasis for these reports to: Glen Dale, General Director: glen.dale@euralarm.org
Security industry policy –
Strengthening the European security industry
Enzo Peduzzi offers an advance taste of the European Commission's recent work on an upcoming position paper covering industry policy for security.
Working via various different channels, Euralarm has established contacts with DG Enterprise. As a result of this we learned that DG Enterprise has been working on a position paper examining the potential to improve the competitiveness of the European security industry within the world market.
The paper is in draft form currently and not yet officially published. Nevertheless, Euralarm has had access to the draft and the opportunity to comment on several occasions – the last of these being the 'MEP Breakfast' on March 22nd in Brussels.
In line with Euralarm's views on the present market situation, the paper underlines the fragmentation of the market and analyses correctly that the reason for this lies in the incoherency of national and regional legislation and regulations.
In the paper, the EU Commission will suggest a stronger EN standardisation of priority areas, which still have to be identified by the interested parties. Euralarm is collaborating on Mandate 487 to defend the interests of our industry (see separate report in this Newsletter).
The draft also advocates a pan-European certification scheme for products and services and names CertAlarm as an example of how to overcome the market fragmentation and in this way strengthen the European industry – and in particular the SMEs.
The paper also outlines recommendations for a shorter time to market for innovations, by strengthening the research activities of the industry with the Horizon 2020 research programme and with pre-commercial procurement instruments.
We understand that the paper will be published in the 2nd quarter of 2012 and Euralarm will continue its discussions with DG Enterprise in the meantime. We'll keep you up to date on developments in the next Euralarm Newsletter.
Euralarm 2011 survey – the verdict
The results are in! – Michael Scharnowsky (on behalf of TC Marketing) provides a preview and warns that work is required to meet members' needs on some topics.
A Euralarm survey questionnaire was sent out to all Euralarm members before the 2011 General Assembly and was also distributed during the GA in Bucharest, Romania. One third of the survey responses received back were from 'internals' (members of the Board or SCs)
The remaining two thirds we received back from 'outside' (not members of the Board or SCs)
Responses summary
The survey yielded expected, as well as unexpected, results. Here is a bullet-point summary of the 'headline' reactions to the questions asked:
- Marketing of Euralarm using our logo should be strengthened
- Compliance news is 'top rated' as an area of interest
- Information about the activities and decisions of SCs and the Board is regarded as partly insufficient, so we need to think about how to provide better information from the Board (ie clearer and up to date, and not only via the Newsletters) as well as improving information from the SCs and TCs.
- Even if news is published on the Euralarm website, the email-newsletter in addition is a 'must'
- The annual General Assembly is rated as important (accordingly, the answers and included comments from the survey will be taken into account when preparing the future General Assemblies)
Urgent action needed
- Some survey respondents told us that Euralarm does not have an important influence on standards and regulations and that we do not have an important influence on EU legislation either. Urgent action is therefore required, eg., by consequent and continous reporting from our members working in standardisation groups/forums. We also need to introduce effective reporting mechanisms from those members involved in our work at meetings in Brussels, so that results achieved there are fed back to all members.
Wire free alarms in the 868MHz to 870MHz spectrum
Alex Carmichael, Director of Technical and Export Services at the British Security Industry Association (pictured), considers the ETSI's decision on spectrum space and the future effect of 4G mobile phones on wire free alarm systems.
A number of years ago wire free alarm systems moved out of the 418MHz spectrum band to allow a new emergency service radio system to use this spectrum space. This was a European decision by ETSI. Wire free alarm systems were allocated their own wire free alarm bands in the 868MHz to 870MHz spectrum area.
Since moving to 868MHz to 870MHz, the wire free alarm bands have been free of interference from other spectrum users (except in the UK, where the UK Government allowed Listen before Talk [LBT] into the alarm bandwidths).
This is about to change, with the advent of the 'Digital Dividend' – the change over from analogue TV to digital TV. This action will release a large amount of spectrum for new use. ETSI has allocated part of this spectrum, the 790 MHz to 863MHz bandwidth, to mobile phone operators offering the next generation of mobile phone systems (4G) also known as LTE systems (Long Term Evolution).
The design specification of these new LTE systems will allow them to spread their transmissions into adjacent spectrum bands. The reason why these LTE systems are being allowed to do this is to keep the unit product cost of mobile handsets down for end users. LTE systems may interfere with wire free alarm systems operating in the 868MHz to 870MHz spectrum operating in close proximity to a LTE hand set, as the estimated over spill into the alarm frequencies could be between 20db to 40db.
In the UK the telecommunication regulator OFCOM is setting up a test facility so that UK wire free alarm manufacturers producing alarm products in the 868MHz to 870 MHz spectrum can test their equipment to determine the effect new LTE systems may have on their products and to look at what mitigating steps can, if any, be implemented. This, of course, will not solve the problem of the millions of wire free security products already being used by the vulnerable in our society.
The UK wire free alarms industry (security, fire, social, etc) are lobbying the UK government to try to ensure that the LTE specifications are tightened, so that the wire free alarm frequencies are protected and all Euralarm member companies are requested to lobby their governments for the same solution.
Our alarm frequencies are used for the protection of life and property and should be kept clear of any interference. This is a very serious issue and all members are requested to consider the effect of LTE on their wire free alarm systems.
You can find a lot of background information including the studies done by OFCOM on the effects of LTE on the wire free alarm band spectrum at: stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/…/technical-licence-conditions/
If you want more information about the UK industry position then please contact me at a.carmichael@bsia.co.uk
Euralarm's Ukraine visit opens doors
Euralarm's Jos van Kampen and Carlo Loi recently paid a four-day visit to Ukraine at the invitation of the Ukrainian Security Industry Federation (USIF).
As part of this trip, at the end of February, Jos and Carlo, together with Anatolii Dolynnyi of USIF, met with Tetyana Slyshyk, the Head of the Euro 2012 department of the Kyiv City state administration – officers of this department are responsible for security issues in public areas.
During the meeting Jos presented an overview of Euralarm's activities and expressed the willingness of Euralarm members to provide assistance to the department. Carlo, meanwhile, stressed the importance of performing security preparations and audits up to European and international standards, to ensure the highest level of security. The Kyiv City administration officials present showed great interest in receiving assistance from Euralarm, specifically concerning the European experience of security audits during mass events. Agreements on further contacts through USIF were made to help facilitate this.
Standardisation issues
Euralarm activities and standardization issues were also discussed during the meeting with USIF members. Among other issues, the participants were informed about the coordination of TC 79 of Cenelec and IEC, and the leading role of the European standardization process within global standardization.
In the discussion that followed USIF partners raised many pressing questions, for instance regarding EN 50131 - EN 50136 standards on alarm systems and EN 50518 on Alarm Receiving Centres.
In addition, public safety in cities and promotion of innovative projects in security in Europe were discussed. The final item was an invitation to Euralarm to choose Kyiv (Ukraine) as the host city and country for GA 2013.
A visit to National football stadium "NSC Olimpiyskiy" (opens in an additional window) was also arranged by system integrator ISK Transexpo, the electronic security systems contractor for the stadium. As the host arena for the Euro 2012 Final, Olimpiyskiy is one of the most critical venues within the Championship infrastructure.
Jos & Carlo had a chance to learn about the security infrastructure of the venue in general and visit the control rooms at the arena, where the monitoring and management of all security systems is carried out.
During the visit, Jos and Carlo also met with Alex Cicyliano, the Head of the Ukrainian Institute for Research and Training in Standardization, Certification and Quality (opens in an additional window). The Euralarm visitors gained an insight into the reform of technical regulation system in Ukraine and asked questions about whether the European standardization bodies such as Cenelec, and international ones such as IEC, could assist and support this process. They also visited the Institute's library, which houses a large array of documents on standardization, including those of the time of USSR as well as today's standards.
KIPS conference
Jos and Carlo additionally took part in the round-table Safe City conference event at the KIPS 2012 (opens in an additional window) security exhibition. As guest speakers they presented the main European trends in civil safety and security, including the development of standards and regulations for municipal security measures and the European project development of a single 'European Security Initiative' (see the June 2011 Special Newsletter for more details on Euralarm's response to the ESI).
Jos and Carlo took the opportunity of touring the products area at the KIPS 2012 exhibition and discussed with USIF representatives possible co-operation in providing all Euralarm members attending the 2013 show with an option to exhibit innovative products at attractive terms (limited free space area).
Further details on Ukraine's fire and security market can be found in a July 2011 Newsletter – click on the Articles tab to find out more.