Call: Border crossing points topic 3: Optimization of border control processes and planning

• Health, demographic change and wellbeing;
• Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the Bioeconomy;
• Secure, clean and efficient energy;
• Smart, green and integrated transport;
• Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials;
• Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies;
• Secure societies - protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens.

The primary aims of the Secure Societies Challenge are:

• to enhance the resilience of our society against natural and man-made disasters, ranging from the development of new crisis management tools to communication interoperability, and to develop novel solutions for the protection of critical infrastructure;
• to fight crime and terrorism ranging from new forensic tools to protection against explosives;
• to improve border security, ranging from improved maritime border protection to supply chain security and to support the Union's external security policies including through conflict prevention and peace building;
• and to provide enhanced cyber-security, ranging from secure information sharing to new assurance models

On the one hand this call targets the development of technologies and capabilities which are required to enhance systems, equipment, tools, processes, and methods for rapid identification to improve border security. This includes both control and surveillance issues, exploiting the full potential of EUROSUR and promoting an enhanced use of new technology for border checks, also in relation to the SMART BORDERS legislative initiative. It also addresses supply chain security in the context of the EU’s customs policy. On the other hand this call focuses on new technologies, capabilities and solutions which are required to support the Union's external security policies in civilian tasks, ranging from civil protection to humanitarian relief, border management or peace-keeping and post-crisis stabilisation, including conflict prevention, peace-building and mediation. This will require research on conflict resolution and restoration of peace and justice, early identification of factors leading to conflict and on the impact of restorative justice processes.

This call is divided in the following parts:

• Maritime Border Security
• Border Crossing Points
• Supply Chain Security
• Information Management in the context of External Security
• Conflict Prevention and Peace Building
• Ethical/Societal Dimension

Apart from the known problem of a continuous increase of travellers crossing EU external borders border control authorities are confronted with a wide range of other problems, including: (a) less staff and financial means in the nearby future, (b) emergence of new technologies supposed to support border authorities in carrying out border control and surveillance tasks, and (c) a growing amount of information available to them coming from various sources (e.g., national or international information systems, sensors, open sources, etc.). Having “less people”, but “new tools and machines” and “more information available” requires establishment of mechanisms to improve decision making processes in the context of planning resources allocation and information workflows. A general challenge is to make the equipment and procedures more appropriate for wide employment. A further general challenge that applies to all scenarios is interoperability (operational as well as technical).