Launched in 2002, The European Institute’s Transatlantic Roundtable on Cooperation in Homeland Security, examines the opportunities and challenges for Europeans and Americans to strengthen cooperation and generate innovative new policies to improve the protection of infrastructure, resources, and citizenry from the threat of international terrorism. This project has been instrumental in bringing together U.S. administration officials, representatives from the U.S. Congress, leaders in European governments and the European Union, corporate representatives, and policy experts to exchange views on these critical issues.
Although the United States and Europe stand together on many common threats, greater transatlantic cooperation is required in the war against terrorism. In today’s increasingly challenging environment, non-state actors pose a broad range of threats that cut across myriad sectors and undermine the free flow of people, goods and services that is at the heart of the transatlantic relationship. The urgency of comprehensive and mutually beneficial civil security is a priority in both Europe and the United States, and cooperative policies and engagement have direct implications for both continents. The European Institute’s program promotes sustained dialogue between representatives of government agencies and industry to facilitate multinational initiatives, improve levels of exchange between the public and private sectors, and generate new public/private partnerships.
Recent Meetings:
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Created on 12 November 2007
Applications for small unmanned vehicle systems are multiplying and their contribution to earth surveillance and the treatment of emergency situations is increasing in parallel to their commercial, homeland security and military applications. This conference addressed the growing need for ensuring the security of their traffic and making sure that this development is environmentally safe. Speakers included Peter van Blyenburgh, President of UVS International; Gerald F. “Fred” Pease, Jr., Executive Director for the Department of Defense Policy Board on Federal Aviation; Holger Mattiesen, Senior Specialist in Air Traffic Management Procedures and the Focal Point for Unmanned Aircraft Systems at EUROCONTROL; Robert “Rori” Marston, Director of Policy and Strategic Development for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s UAS Program; and Dana Schulze, Chief of the Aviation Engineering Division at the National Transportation Safety Board. Participants agreed that there needs to be an increase in transatlantic coordination regarding UAVs to ensure safety and regulation.
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Created on 18 September 2007
As nation-states (in particular North Korea and Iran) have continued to work on the proliferation of missiles over the past few years, there has been a dramatic increase in interest on missile defense by the rest of the world. Lt. Gen. Henry A. “Trey” Obering III, Director of the Missile Defense Agency with the U.S. Department of Defense, discussed the status of the U.S. plan for missile defense in view of the increased threats to national security. He addressed the U.S. proposal to place new missile interceptors in Poland and the Czech Republic, which is the subject of great debate and has critical strategic implications for both Europe and the United States. Gen. Obering acknowledged European and Russian concerns and stressed transparency and collaboration among the U.S., E.U., NATO, and Russia.
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Created on 13 September 2007
The Hon. Paolo Costa (MEP-Italy), Chairman of the Transport Committee and members of the Committee discussed the status of the EU-U.S. Aviation Agreement (also known as the Open Skies Agreement), the inclusion of aviation into the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and aviation security issues. U.S. participants included Michael Scardaville, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Policy and International Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Paul Gretch, Director of the Office of International Aviation, U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Created on 02 May 2007
The European Institute convened the third in the continuing series of discussions about the transatlantic search for common standards in new technologies, internet governance and cyber security. Jacques Bus, Head of Unit ICT for Trust and Security of the European Commission stressed the importance of bringing researchers together from both sides of the Atlantic to improve cooperation. Offering a U.S. perspective, John Kropf, Director of International Privacy Programs, Privacy Office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security suggested strategic development on the international level and filling in the gaps between the E.U. and U.S. The meeting was chaired by Donald Abelson of Sudbury International, LLC.
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Created on 17 April 2007
Following the European Parliament’s recent initiatives to improve European-U.S. cooperation on data privacy and toward reaching an agreement on General Principles of Data Protection, a discussion was convened with a delegation of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, headed by The Hon. Jonathan Evans, Chairman of the Delegation for Relations with the U.S. James Halpert, Partner at DLA Piper served as the moderator. Members of the delegation, including Frieda Brepoels, Patrick Gaubert, Luis Herrero-Tejedor, Sophie in’t Veld, Piia-Nora Kauppi, Berès Prevench and Baroness Sarah Ludford, expressed the need for stronger transatlantic dialogue on data protection, particularly their concerns about SWIFT and PNR information exchange within a common framework for the safeguard of personal information in an environment of heightened security. The U.S. perspective was presented by Peter Chase, Director, Office of European Union and Regional Affairs, U.S. Department of State and Matthew McCabe, Counsel, House Committee on Homeland Security. They expressed their belief that a solution can be found on oversight discussions, as the U.S. and EU share similar values.
