Security represents a major political, social and economic challenge for all of us. It has a major impact on virtually all aspects of our lives, our economy, the employment and the wellbeing of citizens. It should provide resilience to critical societal functions while taking into account the respect of fundamental rights and privacy concerns.
The European Organisation for Security recognizes that the EU has an important role to play in providing the necessary policy framework for assuring security and resilience for our society and protection of citizens. Indeed, the activities of public and private users and operators depend upon security solutions and services supplied by the security industry.
2 Million persons are estimated to be employed in the worldwide security industry with a yearly turnover of some 100 bEUR in 2008. Yet, although being very dynamic and growing, the EU Security Market is still fragmented and unstructured. It needs a specific EU industrial security policy and adequate support to migrate from a single equipment based approach to a higher integration (global system) level.
Security needs to become a strategic sector for Europe, which requires an increased coordination of the European Security Industry, between users and suppliers to provide competitive and cost-effective high technology solutions (in terms of reliability and robustness) essential to guaranteeing security and the safeguarding of European jobs.
In order to enable the EU to provide the necessary policy framework for assuring security and resilience to our society and for protecting our citizens, and in order to foster a better understanding of security priorities and operational needs, EOS urges the European Commission to:
1. Develop a comprehensive, coherent and sustainable EU model for security in which European security and resilience needs can be addressed effectively and economically, while developing citizens’ trust;
2. Strengthen the Public–Private Security Dialogue in support of the development of security policies, and agree on Roadmaps for the deployment of relevant EC security measures linked to these EU policies;
3. Create under the umbrella of an EU Security Programme, relevant EU sectoral Programmes endowed with adequate financial support for the deployment of security solutions and services in priority areas;
4. Enhance the EU security governance configuration by setting up an integrated structure for improved coordination of European security policies and activities;
5. Create the conditions for the development of a harmonised EU Security Market by developing legal frameworks and societal/privacy aspects linked to security, enabling the deployment of security solutions;
6. Develop common security technology Capability Requirements, EU technical Standards, interfaces for Interoperability, as well as Procedures, Guidelines or Regulations applicable to all EU Member States;
7. Enhance and focus Security R&T and Innovation in order to develop tested and validated EU Reference Solutions (global system approach) within relevant EU Programmes, implementing security “by design”;
8. Link policies and capabilities related to the EU’s internal security issues with the external issues addressed by the EU Security Strategy (linking of civilian and military aspects).
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