Security: research under starter’s orders

On the long road – stretching back 15 years already – leading to the development of a genuine European security and defence policy, research and technology co-operation is making major strides. In addition to the progress achieved through increased military and diplomatic collaboration between Member States in a field that was once conceived along purely national lines, the EU’s role in supporting research is conducive to the implementation of a common policy. After three ‘pilot’ years of a preparatory action launched in 2004, security research is now set to become a fully-fledged research field for which the Commission has proposed a budget of around €1 billion over the seven years of the Seventh Framework Programme (2007-2013).