Homeland Security Fund

1,93 billion

Integrated fight against all forms of crime and threat to citizens’ security

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DG / Responsible Agencies:HOME | REGIO | SEA

Potential beneficiaries

Police, customs and the other specialized services, cybercrime, counterterrorism and other specialized units, state and local governments, nongovernmental and international organizations, EU agencies, public and private companies, networks and research institutes.

Description and objectives

The Internal Security Fund aims to counter security threats that have intensified and diversified in Europe in recent years (terrorist attacks, new types of serious and organized crime, and cybercrime) and that have, increasingly, an inherently cross-border dimension. The Fund is one of the operational applications of the European Security Agenda.

The Internal Security Fund contributes to the security of the EU by preventing and combating terrorism, radicalization, serious and organized crime, and cybercrime; assisting and protecting victims of crime; and establishing systems to prepare for, protect against, and effectively manage security incidents, risks, and crises. More specifically:

• Improves and facilitates the exchange of information between member state authorities, relevant EU bodies, third countries and international organizations;
• Improves and intensifies cross-border cooperation, including joint operations in relation to terrorism and serious and organized crime with a cross-border dimension;
• Strengthens member states’ capabilities to prevent and combat crime, terrorism and radicalization, and to manage security incidents, risks and crises, particularly through cooperation between public authorities, civil society and the private sector.

Types of actions and projects

The Internal Security Fund is managed through various means: directly managed by European institutions, indirectly through special agencies, and concurrently through the involvement of member states. Resources are allocated mainly through national (shared management) and thematic (for specific actions) programs. The Fund finances a wide range of initiatives, such as setting up and managing information systems, launching joint operations, establishing investigation teams, acquiring operational equipment, promoting and developing training programs, administrative and operational coordination, and exchanging best practices.

More specifically, the Fund supports a wide range of actions, including:

• The purchase and acquisition of ICT systems, related training and testing, and the improvement of interoperability and data quality;
• Monitoring the implementation of EU law and policy objectives in member states in the area of security information systems;
• Implementing and supporting the priorities defined within the EU policy cycle and EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats);
• Support for thematic or multidisciplinary networks of national units specializing in specific areas of security, the exchange and dissemination of know-how, information, experience and best practices, and the pooling of resources and expertise in joint centers of excellence;
• Action destruction and training for law enforcement, judicial, and administrative agencies.

Highlights

The Homeland Security Fund has the same general objectives and implementation methods as its predecessor of the same name in the previous programming period (Police component). Compared to its predecessor, it has a broader and more cross-cutting view (less focused on crime and crisis).