Proposal for a regulation
Annex 1 – Part 3 – point 6 a (new)
6 a. SECURE SOCIETIES – PROTECTING FREEDOM AND SECURITY OF EUROPE AND ITS CITIZENS 6.1. (a) Specific objective The specific objective is to foster secure European societies in a context of unprecedented transformations and growing global interdependencies and threats while strengthening the European culture of freedom and justice. There is a widespread perception of insecurity, whether from crime, violence, terrorism, natural/man-made disasters, cyber attacks, privacy abuses and other forms of social and economic disorders. This affects citizens directly and has a wider impact on notions of trust, care and communication and links to the level of preparation and organisation of society. According to estimates, there is likely to be up to 75 million direct victims of crime every year in Europe. The direct cost of crime, terrorism, illegal activities, violence and disasters in Europe has been estimated at at least EUR 650 billion (about 5 % of the Union's GDP) in 2010. A vivid example of the consequences of terrorism is the attack against the Twin Towers in Manhattan on 11 September 2001. Thousands of lives were lost and it is estimated that this event caused losses in US productivity amounting to US$ 35 billion, US$ 47 billion in total output and a rise in unemployment by almost 1 % in the following quarter. It also had a significant cultural and global impact. Citizens, firms and institutions are increasingly involved in digital interactions and transactions in social, financial and commercial areas of life but the development of Internet has also led to cyber crime worth billion of Euros each year and breaches of privacy affecting individual or associations across the continent. Cyber attacks are also having serious impact on critical infrastructures. Changes in the nature and perception of insecurity in everyday life and because of unexpected situations is likely to affect the citizens' trust not only in institutions but also in each other. In order to anticipate, prevent and manage these threats, it is necessary to develop and apply innovative technologies, solutions, foresight tools and knowledge, stimulate cooperation between providers and users, find civil security solutions, improve the competitiveness of the European security and services industries and prevent and combat the abuse of privacy and breaches of human rights in the Internet, and elsewhere, while ensuring European citizens individual rights and freedom. To enhance better cross-border collaboration between different kinds of emergency services, attention should be given to interoperability and standardisation. Finally, as security policies should interact with different social policies, enhancing the societal dimension of security research will be an important aspect of this challenge. 6.1. (b) Rationale and Union added value Security is a legitimate concern for Europe and its citizens and in this respect represents a major challenge for society. The European Union, its citizens, its industry and its international partners are confronted with a range of security threats like crime, terrorism, illegal trafficking and mass emergencies due to man-made or natural disasters. These threats can span across borders and aim at physical targets or the cyberspace with attacks arising from different sources. Attacks against information or communication systems of public authorities and private entities for instance not only undermine the citizen's trust in information and communication systems, lead to direct financial losses and a loss of business opportunities, but may also seriously affect critical infrastructure and services such as energy, aviation and other transport, water and food supply, health, finance or telecommunications. These threats could possibly endanger the inner foundations of our society. Technology and creative design can bring an important contribution to any response to be made. Yet, new solutions should be developed while bearing in mind the appropriateness of the means and their adequacy to the societal demand, in particular in terms of guarantees for citizens' fundamental rights and freedoms. Finally, security also represents a major economic challenge. The security market is worth between around 100 and 300 million billion euro per year worldwide, of which Europe's share is between 25 and 35%. Moreover, it is a fast growing market despite the present economic crisis. Given the potential impact of some threats on services, networks or businesses, the deployment of adequate security solutions has become critical for the economy and European manufacturing competitiveness. Union funding under this challenge will thus support the development, implementation and adaptation of key Union policies, notably Europe 2020 priorities for smart sustainable and inclusive growth, the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Union's Internal Security Strategy. Coordination with the Joint Research Centre direct actions will be pursued. 6.1. (c) Broad lines of activities The aim is to support Union policies for internal and external security and to ensure cyber security, trust and privacy in the Digital Single Market, whilst at the same time improving the competitiveness of the Union's security and service industries. The activities will include a focus on the research and development of the next generation of innovative solutions, by working on novel concepts and designs, and interoperable standards. This will be done by developing innovative technologies and solutions that address security gaps and lead to a reduction in the risk from security threats. These mission-oriented actions will integrate the demands of different end-users (citizens, businesses, and administrations, including national and international authorities, civil protections, law enforcement, border guards, etc.) in order to take into account the evolution of security threats and privacy protection and the necessary societal aspects. Research in this challenge will thus be supporting the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Union's Internal Security Strategy, including policies on disaster prevention and response. The focus of activities shall be to: (a) fight crime and terrorism, including understanding and tackling terrorist ideas and beliefs b) protect and improve the resilience of critical infrastructures[5] c) strengthen security through border management d) improve cyber security e) increase Europe's resilience to crises and disasters f) ensure privacy and freedom and enhance the societal legal and ethical understanding of all areas of security, risk and management g) Support to the Union's Common Security and Defence Policy and the development of civil military capabilities h) enhance standardisation and interoperability of security systems