Euralarm Newsletter - June 2011 - Special edition
‘European Homeland Security’ moves – Euralarm’s response
At last month’s Euralarm General Assembly, President Hansjüerg Mahler provided a useful insight into the topical subject of the ‘European Security Initiative’ (ESI), a kind of ‘European Homeland Security’ aimed at providing better protection for the people and infrastructure of the EU as well as improving the competitiveness of the European security industry. The creation of a European Security Project (ESP) by Euralarm is designed to contribute to this initiative in the best interests of Euralarm members.
The ESI is a civil security project, complementary to defence, and should be seen in the context of a landmark Council document (5842/2/2010) ‘Draft Internal Security Strategy for the EU: Towards a European Security Model’. This covers areas including serious and organised crime, all forms of terrorism, and other major threats.
In the meantime, document COM (2004)72 ‘Towards a program to advance European Security through Research and Technology’ covers the need for Europe to invest in a ‘security culture’ that harnesses the combined and relatively untapped strengths of the security industry and research community to tackle future security challenges. There is a recognised under-investment in R&D, Mr Mahler stressed, with the treatment for this involving stimulation of market conditions and innovative mechanisms to create opportunities for European industry. Another aim is to develop a long-term vision and strategic agenda in security related research.
‘European Security Label’
The EU Commission responded to a European Security Research and Innovation Forum report in December 2009, which said a competitive European security industry is a prerequisite for future security and stated that the EU must address the fragmentation of its security markets, as well as raise societal awareness of security threats and risks. The Commission resolved to analyse ways to speed up security certification and standardisation work, and emphasizes the necessity of a ‘European Security Label’. The Commission also launched enquiries and initiatives to obtain an overview of existing fire and security standards, accelerate standardisation work in Europe, improve coordination between CEN, Cenelec and ETSI, and with ISO, IEC and ITU, plus foster the creation of new standards needed for the European security agenda. Mr Mahler told the GA that: “We have to support this and add an emphasis on services and Codes of Practice.”
He pointed out that the European Organisation for Security, founded by mainly defence industry members in 2007 to lobby ESI, employs five full-time lobbyists in Brussels. “Euralarm has to lobby ESI for the civil security industry,” he declared. “The ESI’s potential benefits include improved market conditions and competitiveness of our industry, a broadened technological base and extended scope for the European security industry, growing public awareness of fire and security matters, increased visibility of Euralarm, the chance for Euralarm to be recognised as a valuable partner to European authorities, the opportunity to generate additional income for Euralarm, and bring it closer to governmental and institutional specifiers.”
