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

• Improve assisted border crossing control systems, coordinated between border, customs and security controls;
• Allocate more efficiently border check resources, maintaining security while minimising time and hassle for crossings and false positives;
• Allocate flexibly border check resources, when and where needed, depending on changing needs (for example seasonally, and/or in the case of roll-on-roll-off ferries);
• Contribute to capabilities that strengthen the Schengen area, by providing security at its external borders that also reassure on maintaining the free movement within its borders.

Scope:

Growth of international travel and mobility (which will likely return to, and increase to a level above, the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels), the scarcity of resources, and the need to ease border crossings while maintaining security of the Schengen area, make reliable risk assessments and border checks prioritisation important. Border practitioners in some Member States are assessing feasibility, reliability and acceptability of optimised border controls using risk-based management.

The solution(s) proposed under this topic should allow easier and more flexible allocation and change of resources in border checks, for example to meet seasonal peaks. A possible use case is that of roll-on-roll-off ferries. That situation may generate long queues for border and security checks, while often being seasonal. A proposed solution should help perform border checks, as well improve the speed for detecting threats in vehicles, such as weapons and explosives, without people coming out of vehicles and without slowing down (dis)embarkment off or onto roll-on-roll-off ferries.

In any case, the proposed solution(s) should consider both the travellers and the goods accompanying them.

Higher leveraging of risk management in border crossing practices has the potential to also decrease and minimise the use of personal data and the risk for violating fundamental rights. The project should integrate strong ethical, legal and acceptability assessment to ensure that, on the other hand, the risks of bias (such as on ethnicity or gender) and discrimination of risk mitigation is minimised.

Collaboration with international stakeholders in the field of transport and transport safety in the air, maritime and rail contexts is encouraged.

Should the project deliver on its goal and be compatible with applicable legislation, EU and Member States authorities should plan to take up the results of the research with the support of the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI).

The proposed system should ensure secure data collection, access, encryption, and decision support processes. Full encryption at transit and rest should be ensured, while enabling fuzzy searches on all metrics of the documents’ data.

The system should include automated decision support systems that suggest the end-users which process and database/tool can be legally used using a certain technology.

Solutions should be compatible or interoperable with legacy and current systems, and propose or allow an interoperability between systems in use by different Member States.

Improving energy efficiency and environmental impact aspects of new security technologies for this capability (e.g. low environmental footprint, low emissions, circular economy aspects and/or self-sustained equipment) would be desirable.

Examples of technologies and approaches that can be explored by the research projects include (non-prescriptive and non-exhaustive): risk assessment methods, data fusion, sensors, artificial intelligence.

Research projects should consider, build on (if appropriate) and not duplicate previous research, including but not limited to research by other recent EU Framework Programmes projects on security research.

Proposals should delineate the plans for further development to subsequent TRLs as well as uptake (industrialisation, commercialisation, acquisition and/or deployment) at national and EU level, should the research deliver on its goals.

Proposals under this topic are expected to address the priorities of the European Border and Coast Guard and of its Agency (Frontex), including basing on the EBCG Capability Roadmap when available, and engage with the Agency during the implementation of the project. This perspective should be considered and planned when drafting proposals. Proposals should expect a key role of Frontex in validating the project outcomes, with the aim of facilitating future uptake of innovations for the border and coast guard community.

The involvement of Police Authorities^[1] is encouraged, as well as synergies with relevant topics of the Fight against Crime and Terrorism Destination.

[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.