EARTO, the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations, published a statement on ‘Strengthening Europe’s Security: A Dual Approach for Civil & Defence Resilience’ on 12 March 2025. In this paper, the association calls for a “well-funded civil security research programme” which “must exist alongside a robust defence research initiative”. The two must be aligned strategically, reinforcing each other to enhance societal resilience, EARTO claims.

The statement was prepared by the EARTO Working Group Security & Defence Research. It welcomes the “whole-of-society” approach outlined in the Niinistö report “Safer Together – Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness” which emphasises preparedness, cooperation, and dual-use potential within a comprehensive security framework that actively involves civil actors, businesses, local communities, and citizens. EARTO sees the Niinistö report as complementary to the Draghi report on EU Competitiveness in this context.

https://www.earto.eu/wp-content/uploads/EARTO-WG-SD-Paper-Dual-Approach-for-Civil-and-Defence-Resilience-Final.pdf