Study slams EU security research funding

BRUSSELS, April 25 (UPI) -- The European Union is set to spend $1.25 billion on security research programs that may be tainted by fierce industry lobbying, claims a new report.

The 25-member bloc will channel research funds to European arms and IT companies in order to compete with U.S. homeland security research, the report by the Netherlands-based Transnational Institute and London-based Statewatch revealed Tuesday.

Titled "Arming Big Brother," the document alleges that the European Commission has ignored normal rules of procedure by providing immediate funds to a number of industry-backed research projects, thereby giving multinational arms producers the lion's share of influence on the European security agenda.

The two advocacy groups analyzed 24 research projects that have received funding from the commission to date and discovered that 17 of them are led by military organizations and defense sector contractors and could be providing cover for defense subsidies and lucrative government contracts.

The research programs include the introduction of biometric identifiers, electronic tagging, paramilitary equipment for public order and the militarization of border controls. This will "design furture EU policies according to corporate rather than public interests," the author of the report Ben Hayes warned.