Closed

Public spaces are protected while respecting privacy and avoiding mass surveillance

HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions

Basic Information

Identifier: HORIZON-CL3-2022-FCT-01-04
Programme: Fighting Crime and Terrorism 2022
Programme Period: 2021 - 2027
Status: Closed (31094503)
Opening Date: June 30, 2022
Deadline: November 23, 2022
Deadline Model: single-stage
Budget: €3,000,000
Min Grant Amount: €3,000,000
Max Grant Amount: €3,000,000
Expected Number of Grants: 1
Keywords: Local/wide area observation and surveillanceSituation awareness & assessment (surveillance)Societal EngagementEthics in research and innovationProtection of public spacesHuman rightsData Security and PrivacySocietal issues in crime and terrorismDigital AgendaAnonymity, pseudonymity, unlinkability, more…Integrated Surveillance SystemsSecuritySurveillanceArtificial IntelligencePrivacy requirements for data management systemsPrivacy concerns, behaviours, and practicesPolice authoritiesSocial sciences and humanitiesTerrorismEducation and training of police authorities

Description

ExpectedOutcome:

Projects’ results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

Improved understanding by local authorities, operators and policy makers of the effect of large-scale surveillance of public spaces on the behaviour of citizens and possible negative effects on local communities;
Enhanced transparency for citizens on different forms of surveillance by Police Authorities^[1], local authorities and private actors in public spaces, and increased awareness of applicable rights towards operators of such systems;
Improved protection of public spaces without the need for 24/7 data collection and storage;
Set of common standards and good practices by local authorities, operators and policy makers for internal access restriction, anonymization and data minimization allowing a proportionate use of already installed surveillance-systems (such as CCTV) in public spaces, reducing the risk of misuse of collected data and respecting fundamental rights, especially the protection of personal data.

Scope:

In recent years, the number of different tools for the surveillance of public spaces has been growing at massive pace in most European cities. CCTV-systems in public spaces are the most evident examples. They have been expanded in terms of quantity (number of CCTV in public spaces, such as squares, streets or touristic sites), quality (improved solution of images, possibility of tracking and automatic pattern-recognition) and also scope (CCTV present in areas like parks, 24/7 recording as standard due to higher data storage capacities).

CCTV-systems are the most evident and visible, although by far not the only ones. Acoustic sensors, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and in the future possibly widespread facial recognition add to a system of sensors that cover large parts of public spaces in many European cities.

While evidence suggests that such tools can help to combat certain forms of crime an increase the perceived security of citizens, the significant expansion of areas that are monitored risks to create negative effects for the right for privacy. Scientific studies indicate that also legal forms of behaviour are adapted by persons, which are aware that they are monitored by surveillance systems. Furthermore, there is evidence that such systems are often concentrated in socially deprived districts, creating the risks of stigmatisation of its residents.

In terms of crime prevention there are indications that for many settings, sensors like CCTV are in the best case only part of a solution and they can create a tendency of reducing personnel on the ground, thus limiting the possibilities for classical policing and reducing the direct interaction between local police and public order services and the citizens. Such interaction is however key to address crime prevention and response to criminal threats in a holistic manner.

The quantitative growth of both public and private surveillance has led to the fact that nowadays, citizens are hardly able to keep track of where their data has been captured and thus not able to make us of their rights as guaranteed by applicable legislation, such as the GDPR. While citizens as subjects of the surveillance are becoming transparent towards public and private operators of surveillance, the operators themselves remain in many cases inaccessible and few technological innovations are used to make sure only relevant data is stored and processed.

While significant industry and research resources are invested in the design of new and the upgrading of existing surveillance systems for public spaces, innovation could be stimulated to look for alternatives. Such alternative could identify means to protect public spaces though enhanced interaction with local communities, re-design sensors as to ensure they capture data in the most proportionate way, increase transparency for citizens towards public and private operators of surveillance systems and finally explore privacy-friendly technological features to ensure that only relevant data is kept, processed and accessible by authorised actors. This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Responsible Research and Innovation^[2] could be a relevant approach for the involvement of diverse stakeholders, launching debates, and co-developing or even implementing solutions.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if the consortium deems it relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.

Cross-cutting Priorities:

Digital Agenda
Social sciences and humanities
Societal Engagement
Artificial Intelligence

[1]In the context of this Destination, ‘Police Authorities’ means public authorities explicitly designated by national law, or other entities legally mandated by the competent national authority, for the prevention, detection and/or investigation of terrorist offences or other criminal offences, specifically excluding police academies, forensic institutes, training facilities as well as border and customs authorities.

[2]Responsible research and innovation involves multi-actor and public engagement in research and innovation, easier access to scientific results, the take up of gender and ethics in the research and innovation content and process, and formal and informal science education.

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Destination & Scope

One of the main purposes of this Destination is to contribute significantly to the implementation of the Security Union Strategy[[COM(2020) 605 final.]], i.e. to include Research and Innovation as one of the key building blocks enabling the achievement of the overall policy objectives. As such, the topics in this Destination aim at fully addressing all the key issues underlined in the Strategy. In addition, this Destination touches upon the Counter-Terrorism Agenda[[COM(2020) 795 final.]] as well as the security dimension of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum[[COM(2020) 609 final.]], notably the issues related to criminal networks. More specifically, this Destination includes research topics aiming at fighting crime and terrorism more effectively, particularly through better prevention of crime and enhanced investigation capabilities concerning both traditional crime and cybercrime, as well as at better protection of citizens from violent attacks in public spaces, through more effective prevention, preparedness and response while preserving the open nature of such spaces. This Destination will develop the knowledge and technologies to be taken up by the Internal Security Fund, as a complementary instrument that will enable exploitation of research results and final delivery of the required tools to security practitioners.

The goal of this Destination is to bring improved prevention, investigation and mitigation of impacts of crime, including of new/emerging criminal modi operandi (such as those exploiting digitisation and other technologies). Such an approach needs to be based on a deeper knowledge of human and social aspects of relevant societal challenges, such as child sexual exploitation, violent radicalisation, trafficking of human beings, disinformation and fake news, corruption and cyber criminality, including support to victims. Research can further help to transpose such knowledge into the operational activities of Police Authorities[[In the context of this Destination, ‘Police Authorities’ means public authorities explicitly designated by national law, or other entities legally mandated by the competent national authority, for the prevention, detection and/or investigation of terrorist offences or other criminal offences, specifically excluding police academies, forensic institutes, training facilities as well as border and customs authorities.]], as well as civil society organisations.

Research and innovation will support Police Authorities and, when applicable, other relevant end-users in better tackling crime, including cybercrime, and terrorism as well as different forms of serious and organised crime (such as smuggling, money laundering, identity theft, counterfeiting of products, trafficking of illicit drugs and of falsified/substandard medicines, environmental crime or illicit trafficking of cultural goods) by developing new technologies, tools and systems (including digital tools, e.g. artificial intelligence, interoperability solutions, etc.). This support refers especially to capabilities to analyse in near-real-time large volumes of data to forestall criminal activities, or to combat disinformation and fake news with implications for security.

In addition to improved knowledge, preparedness, prevention and response, projects within this Destination will deliver operational tools for enhanced criminal investigation capabilities for Police Authorities and, when applicable, other relevant end-users. Thus, this Destination covers a broad range of activities from forensics, big data management to the investigation of cybercriminal activities, improved cross-border cooperation and exchange of evidence.

With regards to CBRN-E (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives) threats, research and innovation within this Destination allows, among others, to generate knowledge for counter-terrorism on the continuously evolving methods related to dangerous chemicals, contaminants and unknown substances, and the development of technologies to counter and respond to related incidents.

Furthermore, this Destination aims at improved security of public spaces and public safety, while at the same time preserving the open nature of urban public spaces. All measures to be explored by research and innovation in this area should ensure that citizens can continue their daily lives without major intrusions. To achieve higher security for public space, research in this Destination will identify concepts for prevention, preparedness and response of urban actors (city authorities, Police Authorities, public/private service providers, first responders and citizens) in response to threats of terrorist attacks in public spaces. Innovations can be used to design/improve public spaces to be more secure, also with the help of advanced vulnerability assessments. They can increase the capacity to protect spaces against attacks with manned or unmanned vehicles and can help to detect firearms and other weapons, as well as CBRN-E materials being brought into public spaces. In case attacks cannot be prevented, enhanced effectiveness of mitigation measures including through strategies to reduce vulnerability and strengthening the resilience of possible targets have the potential to reduce the potential impacts of such attacks. Advanced data analysis in real time can critically reduce the time-to-react for first responders.

This Destination will also promote, whenever appropriate and applicable, the proposals with:

the involvement of the Police Authorities in their core,
a clear strategy on how they will adapt to the fast-evolving environment in the area of fight against crime and terrorism (evolution of related technologies, evolution of criminal modi operandi and business models related to these technologies, etc.),
a minimum-needed platform, i.e. tools that are modular and can be easily plugged into another platform (in order to avoid platform multiplication),
tools that are developed and validated against practitioners’ needs and requirements,
a robust plan on how they will build on the relevant predecessor projects,
the (active) involvement of citizens, voluntary organisations and communities,
education and training aspects, especially for Police Authorities and other relevant practitioners, as well as information sharing and awareness raising of the citizens,
a clear strategy on the uptake of the outcomes, defined in consultation with the involved stakeholders,
a well-developed plan both on how research data for training and testing will be obtained, in order to reach the requested Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), and on how the specific TRL will be measured.

The Destination will also create opportunities for collaboration on research and innovation among different communities of practitioners operating in the area of fighting crime and terrorism, such as Police Authorities, border and coast guard authorities, and customs authorities. International cooperation is also encouraged where appropriate and relevant.

Proposals for topics under this Destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to the following expected impact of the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024: “Crime and terrorism are more effectively tackled, while respecting fundamental rights, […] thanks to more powerful prevention, preparedness and response, a better understanding of related human, societal and technological aspects, and the development of cutting-edge capabilities for police authorities […] including measures against cybercrime.”

More specifically, proposals should contribute to the achievement of one or more of the following impacts:

Modern information analysis for Police Authorities, allowing them to efficiently fight criminals and terrorists who use novel technologies;
Improved forensics and lawful evidence collection, increasing the capabilities to apprehend criminals and terrorists and bring them to the court;
Enhanced prevention, detection and deterrence of societal issues related to various forms of crime, including cybercrime, and terrorism, such as violent radicalisation, domestic and sexual violence, or juvenile offenders;
Increased security of citizens against terrorism, including in public spaces (while preserving their quality and openness);
Improved intelligence picture and enhanced prevention, detection and deterrence of various forms of organised crime;
More secure cyberspace for citizens, especially children, through a robust prevention, detection, and protection from cybercriminal activities.

Furthermore, in order to accomplish the objectives of this Destination, additional eligibility conditions have been defined. They refer to the active involvement of relevant security practitioners or end-users.

Proposals involving earth observation are encouraged to primarily make use of Copernicus data, services and technologies.

Projects funded under this Destination are invited to closely cooperate with other EC-chaired or funded initiatives in the relevant domains, such as the Networks of Practitioners projects funded under H2020 Secure Societies work programmes, the Knowledge Networks for Security Research & Innovation funded under the Horizon Europe Cluster 3 Work Programme (”Strengthened Security Research and Innovation” Destination), or the Community of Users for Secure, Safe and Resilient Societies (future CERIS –Community of European Research and Innovation for Security).

Eligibility & Conditions

General conditions

1. Admissibility conditions: described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System

2. Eligible countries: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

3. Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes

The following additional eligibility conditions apply:

This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 3 Police Authorities[[In the context of this Destination, ‘Police Authorities’ means public authorities explicitly designated by national law, or other entities legally mandated by the competent national authority, for the prevention, detection and/or investigation of terrorist offences or other criminal offences, specifically excluding police academies, forensic institutes, training facilities as well as border and customs authorities.]] from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated countries. For these participants, applicants must fill in the table “Eligibility information about practitioners” in the application form with all the requested information, following the template provided in the submission IT tool.

Some activities, resulting from this topic, may involve using classified background and/or producing of security sensitive results (EUCI and SEN). Please refer to the related provisions in section B Security — EU classified and sensitive information of the General Annexes.

If projects use satellite-based, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used). The use of Copernicus for earth observation is encouraged.

4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes

5. Evaluation and award:

Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes

Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes

6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes

Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). [[This decision is available on the Funding and Tenders Portal, in the reference documents section for Horizon Europe, under ‘Simplified costs decisions’ or through this link: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/ls-decision_he_en.pdf]].

Specific conditions

7. Specific conditions: described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]

Documents

Call documents:

Standard application form — call-specific application form is available in the Submission System

Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)

Standard application form (HE CSA)

Standard application form (HE PCP)

Standard evaluation form — will be used with the necessary adaptations

Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)

Standard evaluation form (HE CSA)

Standard evaluation form (HE PCP PPI)

MGA

HE General MGA v1.0

Call-specific instructions

Template for Security & eligibility conditions in Horizon Europe

Additional documents:

HE Main Work Programme 2021–2022 – 1. General Introduction

HE Main Work Programme 2021–2022 – 6. Civil Security for Society

HE Main Work Programme 2021–2022 – 13. General Annexes

HE Programme Guide

EU Financial Regulation

Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment

EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement

Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual

Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions

Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

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