My inquiry is in close connection with the fact that the US government since September 11, 2001 under the title “protection of country” transfers public money at the level of about 1 billion US $ per year to armament firms and that way supports the development of control and surveillance technologies, satellite espionage, “less deadly weapons”, paramilitary equipment etc. European companies of the military-industrial complex did not want to stand back and in the year 2003 together with the greatest of the information and telecommunications industry installed an “EU advisory body” with the insignificant name “Groups of Personalities” (GoP) of which 8 of the 25 membership agencies have a direct military background.

The GoP then initiated the setting up of the ESRP which according to the official request is to be equipped with a budget of one billion Euros a year.

I ask the commission why:

-    in particular the GoP has been installed without great debates in the EU Council or in the EU Parliament?
-    it has accorded responsible officials of the arms industry an official advisory position without any discussion.

The 7th framework research programme (FRP) allocates 570 million Euros for “security and space research”, but since the ESRP is supposed to be financed outside of the normal EU budget, the questions must be asked, from where this money will come?! The 7th FRP has also planned in 1.8 billion Euros for the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the Commission, one of the four points of emphasis lies on the fight against terrorism and organised criminality.

I therefore ask the commission:

Why the above-mentioned firms are supposed to have influence not only on the research programme of the EU but also indirectly on the security policy of the EU?

Why per year ca. 1 billion €s will be put into this research without the least proof that by way of these technologies the real causes of terrorism are eliminated.