EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESENTS SECURITY RESEARCH

UNCLAS USEU BRUSSELS 000503

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES
DEPT FOR ERA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EUN KNNP PARM TSPA TSPL
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESENTS SECURITY RESEARCH
VIEWS TO EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT



1. (U) Summary: The European Commission told the European
Parliament April 1 that it plans to significantly expand its
7th Framework Directive research program, including on border
patrol sensors, maritime security, and chemical, biological,
radiological, and nuclear detection, as well as development
of space reconnaissance and UAVs:

-- the Commission will commit 1.4 billion euros to security
research from 2007-2013 reaching a peak of over 300 million
euros/year in 2013, with a similar amount allocated to space
research;

-- though the remit of the Commission is for civil
applications, the Commission is in close contact with the
European Defense Agency to identify synergies where specific
dual-use technologies can be applied to both civil security
as well as military operations;

-- the Commission created the Research Executive Agency
(REA) to administer space research, incorporate small and
medium enterprises in research, and run fellowship programs.
However, the Commission will maintain control of security
sensitive or political priority programs;

-- the European Security Research and Innovation Forum
(ESRIF) was created in September, 2007, to develop a
public-private dialogue on EU security research agenda items.


2. (U) The Chair of the EP's Security and Defense
Subcommittee supports devoting significant funds to this to
help improve cooperation with the United States. End Summary.

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Parliamentary Introduction
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3. (U) Pieter De Smet of the DG Enterprise on April 1
presented the Commission's security research plan to the
European Parliament's Security and Defense Subcommittee
(SEDE) on April 1.


4. (U) SEDE Chairman Karl von Wogau led off the session,
noting that as the EU sends more military forces on
operations, in addition to the increased need for stronger
border security, Parliament, and specifically SEDE, need to
focus on the technological development required to fulfill
these missions. As it stands currently, according to MEP von
Wogau, there are substantial shortcomings in Europe's ability
to monitor and protect its borders, with weaknesses in both
satellite based reconnaissance and telecommunications. To
that end, a body made up of researchers, industry, and
government officials was created in 2004 to determine what
needs to be done to alleviate these shortcomings and to
determine to what extend Europe needs a security research
infrastructure. The body determined that in order to address
civil security needs, the EU needs to invest 1 billion euros
per year, spread across technological developments, space
assets, and research infrastructure. MEP von Wogau supported
this figure, arguing that strong funding for security
research is necessary to keep Europe protected as well as
guarantee that the EU can engage in cooperation with the U.S.
He explained that several space programs already underway
are moving toward the necessary capabilities for Europe. The
under development programs GMES (Global Monitoring for
Environment and Security),with a budget of 1 billion euros,
and the Galileo satellite navigation system, which, according
to von Wogau, has a clear security dimension, are steps
toward this goal.

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Commission Funding Applied to Security Research
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5. (U) De Smet explained that under FP7, the Commission's
Framework Program for Research from 2007-2013, security
research has been allocated 1.4 billion euros, to be
distributed in increasing amounts over the course of FP7,
culminating in a call for tender totaling over 300 million
euros in 2013. During the same time frame, space research
will receive the same amount. The first calls for tenders,
issued in 2007, totaled approximately 120 million euros,
which will be distributed among 44 projects. As of April,
approximately a third of these have been fully negotiated and
have begun work, while the others still are under

negotiation, in most cases because a security review is still
ongoing. In these projects, it is expected that the results
will be classified, and special steps need to be taken to
ensure the protection of the data generated during the
project. De Smet then went on to explain that this year's
call will take place in July with a similar amount of money,
and the proposal evaluations will conclude at the beginning
of February, 2009.

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Commission Cooperation with the European Defense Agency
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6. (U) With the goal of maximizing European investment
potential and avoiding duplication, De Smet explained that
the Commission is in close communication with the European
Defense Agency to identify synergies where technologies can
be applied either to civilian or military applications. As a
specific example, De Smet used the existing effort to develop
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). UAVs, according to De Smet,
have clear applications both to civil border monitoring as
well as supporting European military forces in the field. To
that end, the Commission has issued a call for tender of
140,000 euros to define a roadmap for the development and use
of UAVs, and De Smet verified that the results from that
study will be widely disseminated, though no target date was
announced. Other areas of collaboration include maritime
surveillance (DG Fisheries and Maritime Affairs),space (DG
Enterprise),and protection of Europe's southern borders (DG
Justice, Freedom, and Security).

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Creation of Research Executive Agency
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7. (U) In order to more efficiently execute specific
activities under the Framework Program, the Research
Executive Agency (REA) has been established as a Commission
external agency to handle many traditionally
Commission-designated functions. The REA specifically will
be responsible for many aspects of security and space
research, activities specific to small and medium
enterprises, and fellowships in the People Program such as
Marie Curie Actions. The Commission will continue to manage
and execute those programs which have a security sensitivity
or political priority. Examples given by De Smet include
border control; chemical, biological, radiological, and
nuclear detection, GMES, and money delegated to the European
Space Agency, such as that intended for the development of
Galileo. REA will manage a budget of approximately 1 billion
euros/year.


8. (U) In response to MEP von Wogau's question asking why
Europe needs a different agency from the European Defense
Agency (EDA),De Smet explained that EDA is a
military-focused agency, whereas the Commission is
responsible for civil projects and works within the Community
budget. Additionally, EDA falls under the purview of the
European Council, while the Commission holds specific
competences separate from the other EU Institutions. REA
also goes beyond security research, expanding into space,
small and medium enterprises, and Fellowships. However,
since there clearly are overlaps between the Commission and
REA with EDA, the different organizations will continue to
work closely in cooperation through identifying dual-use
technologies.

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European Security Research and Innovation Forum
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9. (U) In his last major point, De Smet detailed the
creation of the European Security Research and Innovation
Forum (ESRIF). In an effort to bring together public and
private entities in Europe for a dialogue, ESRIF was created
as of September, 2007. It has 11 working groups, many
designed to parallel the themes in FP7, including chemical,
biological, radiological, and nuclear detection, innovation
and governance, and security of citizens. ESRIF also will
develop threat scenarios and analysis in order to shape ideas
for expanding or developing capacities. ESRIF currently is
working on a report to be delivered at the end of 2009,
detailing the European Security Research Agenda. An interim
version of this report should be available in September or

October of 2008. Additionally, De Smet explained that one of
the tasks for ESRIF is to look at the ethical aspects of the
security technologies being proposed in order to guarantee
the protection of civil rights. On this task, ESRIF is
maintaining close contact with the Civil Liberties, Justice,
and Home Affairs Committee of the EP.

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Parliamentary Response
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10. (U) In general, the MEPs present offered no disputing
views to those of Chairman von Wogau. However, on two
occasions, De Smet was asked to more clearly define the line
between military and civilian projects. Specifically,
Vice-Chairwoman Ana-Maria Gomes made a direct comparison
between, as she put it, the clear role of space in Europe's
civil security with the U.S. and Chinese efforts to
militarize, if not "nuclearize," space. De Smet responded
that the Commission sees a clear line between military and
civilian, and that the Commission will develop technologies
for exclusively civilian purposes. It then becomes the
choice of the EDA technical experts to decide how to apply
that technology to military operations. However, it still
remains in the hands of the Council and the Parliament to
determine exactly how far the Commission can go in security
technology development. Responding specifically in the area
of space, De Smet said that the Commission is working closely
with EDA to identify synergies. Both GMES and Galileo are
being analyzed to determine how they will be applied to
security and military applications, though they both are
civilian programs.

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Comment
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11. (SBU) This session reinforced several of the ideas which
have been presented over the past year as to the role the
Commission will take in the development of security
applications. In several instances, representatives from the
Commission, Council, and Parliament have all expressed in
open fora that projects designed for civil security clearly
can have military applications. In those cases, particularly
with projects developed using EU funds, such as Galileo or
new UAVs, it would be unacceptable to deny EU Forces in the
field the most modern technologies.


12. (SBU) The opening statement by Chairman von Wogau
expressing the need to cooperate with the U.S. on security
research has become a clear theme throughout the Commission
and Parliament. In particular, after the meeting, De Smet
explained to USEU Econ officer that cooperation with the U.S.
is a key priority for the Commission, which wants to engage
the U.S. on all aspects related to security research. He
added however, that the various aspects of security research
are held by several DGs, including Enterprise; DG Research;
Justice, Freedom, and Security; Fisheries and Maritime
Affairs; and Energy and Transport. This makes it complicated
for the Commission, with several different groups traveling
to the U.S. for meetings with different agencies. De Smet
indicated that he will work to keep USEU apprised of
developments and initiatives to ensure that all correct USG
agencies are aware of and involved in efforts.

MURRAY
.