VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBS #0503/01 0951635
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041635Z APR 08
FM USEU BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNMUC/EU CANDIDATE STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE

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. 
 
-------------------------- 
Parliamentary Introduction 
-------------------------- 
 
¶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. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Commission Funding Applied to Security Research 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶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. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
Commission Cooperation with the European Defense Agency 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶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). 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Creation of Research Executive Agency 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶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. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
European Security Research and Innovation Forum 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶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. 
 
---------------------- 
Parliamentary Response 
---------------------- 
 
¶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. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶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 
.