I527-290 ESRIF Final Report (WEB).indd - European Commission

11. Working Group: Human and Societal
Dynamics of Security
11.1 Introduction
Throughout Europe serious rethinking about security is underway.
Traditional security concerns are combined with revised notions of the
consequences of living in Risk Society. Several types of antagonistic
threats, natural and man-made disasters are likely to be faced in Europe
over the foreseeable future. States are developing novel practices
for dealing with security challenges from abroad, at home and not
least within its inter(national-do)mestic sphere. The trans-boundary
character of the novel threats of the future will aff ect both the
security challenges faced and our abilities to meet them in eff ective
and legitimate ways. Research based knowledge and innovations in
technology are needed to underpin reform eff orts in this fi eld. For a
variety of reasons, an emphasis on societal security will be central to
the success of this eff ort.
The concept of societal security has several dimensions. Its successful management requires a coordination and integration of
a range of diff erent professional traditions of safety and security at home, abroad and in-between. Organisational and mental
barriers will slowly erode across jurisdictional, sector based and professional boundaries. This dynamic has been experienced
in many other spheres of European integration, including in areas with traditionally fi rm nation-state jurisdictions.
11.1.1 Cross-cutting themes that need coordination across the work of ESRIF
The ESRIF working group on Human and Societal Dynamics of Security (WG11) focuses on important societal related research
that cuts across the mandates of all working groups. Technology can only be part of the eff ective response to security threats
and must be applied in combination with organisational processes and human intervention. Solutions shall need to be multidimensional
taking into account the diff erent experiences and approaches to life across Europe.
The ESRIF research agenda aims to build new knowledge and technology about responses to mid term and long term threats
and challenges to European security. The working group also aims to infuse the other suggested research and technology
development programmes of ESRIF with human and societal aspects to help guide the development of both proposed
technologies and resulting policies. For this second purpose, a Transverse Committee has been established under the
leadership of Ms. Sadhbh McCarthy.
This group played the central role of identifying common interests, aims and premises for the work of the ESRIF. It developed
themes that link together the many aspects of security research in European societies. It clarifi ed shared social, cultural and
political foundations and articulated the wide interests of various stake-holders in security innovation. These settled on a shared
set of ambitions for the advancement of European values in a new security environment. The group formulated a number of
ESRIF key messages that have been adopted in the Final Report. Also, the ESRIF priority research topics, presented by the eleven
working groups, were clustered and linked to these key messages in order to ensure the coherence of the Final Report.
Among the cross-cutting concerns raised by this group has been the question of the aff ordability and usability of proposed security
solutions. These can best be understood as a triangle of mutual dependency between advancing Technology, the possibilities and
restraints of Human factors and increasing Organisational complexity. In order to enhance societal security all three dimensions must
be integrated and scrutinised together well in advance of new research and technology developments are under consideration.
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