Future planning of EU security research - a contribution to the discussion

Based on an analysis of current procedures in security and defence research planning we developed a conceptual approach for a future methodology for security research planning at EU level. We investigated the planning models of the EU Framework Programme Security Research (European Security Research Advisory Board - ESRAB), the European Defence Agency's (EDA) Capability Development Plan (CDP) and its European Defence Research & Technology (EDRT) Strategy, taking into account recent activities within the EU Civilian Headline Goal (CHG), as well as the Unites States' Department of Homeland Security approach in order to extract commonalities and differences. By comparing these approaches with the current modus operandi in security research planning at EU level (i.e. ESRIF, the European Security Research & Innovation Forum) we identified some potential for refinements of the current methodology with respect to "capability-based planning" - already invented by ESRAB - and "performance-based management", i.e. enabling the evaluation of EU security capabilities and respective security research planning with respect to the realisation/ implementation of predefined performance goals for the security architecture. Bearing in mind that the realities of EU security research planning (at the moment) do not allow for an optimum, "truly" demand-driven planning solution, we present a pragmatic approach to develop a framework for a capability-based planning on EU level and possibly, e.g. as a reference, also for national security research, potentially contributing to a harmonisation of security application requirements at EU and Member State level.