Security of the citizen

Background – Protection and Security of the Citizen

Article 61 of the Treaty on European Union refers to the prevention of crime as one of the means of achieving the Union's objective of providing its citizens with a high level of safety within an area of justice, freedom and security.

The European Commission aims at making sure that the EU remains safe, but also to ensure that the European industry active in security does not become penalized through diverging rules and standards.

Directorate General 'Justice, freedom and security' is fighting organized trans-national crime (e.g. trafficking of human beings and firearms, money laundering, cyber-crime). It aims also at ensuring better proofing of products against crime and recently mandated the European Standardization Organizations to see what role could be played by standardization. CEN has offered its services.

CEN also offered its services to Directorate General 'Environment' in civil protection which focuses on natural disaster prevention and recovery and stresses the importance of risk assessment and risk management.

Europol addresses counter terrorism as one of its priorities. Its programme has subjects such as regular and incident related threat assessments, bio-terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

On the ICT side, COM (2001) 298 of 6 June 2001, Council Resolution of 28 January 2002 and COM (2003) 63 of 11 February 2003, address 'Network and Information Security'.

The NATO new military concept for defence against terrorism has set out categories of possible military activity, such as consequence management and counter-terrorism.

The 'US Homeland Security Initiative' has been launched as a follow-up of '11 September'. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) encourages the rapid development of flexible and adaptable relevant standards, under the aegis of ANSI (American National Standards Institute) that created the ANSI Homeland Security Standards Panel (ANSI-HSSP).

Ten most immediate standards' needs identified by DHS:

Radiological and nuclear detectors
Anthrax detectors
Decontamination standards
Cyber security standards
Biometrics for entry/exit program
Chemical/explosives sensors
Modelling, simulation and analysis
Training for emergency responders
Interoperable communications
Certification of equipment/personnel

The EU faces probably similar threats, and initiatives have been taken both at national and European level.

Some CEN standardization (more of less developed) activities that, at a later stage and in a co-ordinated way with all interested parties could be useful contributors to 'standards' in support of the above mentioned policies or expressions of needs:

Eurocodes (see CEN/TC 250)
Transport of dangerous goods (see CEN/TC 296)
Urban design against crime (see CEN/TC 325)
Humanitarian mine action (see relevant part of this web site)
Defence procurement (see relevant part of this web site)
Co-operation with NSA (expertise in radiological and nuclear detectors, decontamination and modelling, interoperable communications)
Civil protection (ISO/TC 223, see CEN/TC 239)
Network and Information Security (joint CEN/ISSS and ETSI Focus Group and ISO/IEC JTC 1 'Information technology')
Biometrics (ISO/IEC JTC 1/ SC 37)
Certification of equipment and personnel (see CEN/CENELEC JTC 1, ISO CASCO)
Designing crime out of products
Marking of small arms

Looking at the context, the various approaches and requirements and the current activities, it can easily be derived that there is a general need for an approach based on risk assessment. It can also be seen that this needs to be pursued area and sector-wise, according also to the nature of the threat and the possible consequences. Given this cross-sector aspect, it seems normal that this would be a challenge for CEN. CEN/BT has consequently asked BT/WG 160 to propose actions in the area of 'Risk Assessment'.

CEN's response, coordination and monitoring

Until end of 2008, the coordination in the field of security was ensured by the CEN BT/WG 161 'Protection and Security of the Citizen'. This group was created by the BT in December 2003, to function as a forum for this area, providing effectively for continuous networking and information exchange to keep all partners aware of evolving activities. In December 2008, the BT decided to transfer the activities of CEN BT/WG 161 (including the programming and advisory activities) in a new TC (CEN/TC 391). Therefore, CEN/BT WG 161 was disbanded.
Request for more information on Security of the Citizen can be sent to Gaïd Le Gall. E-mail