Commission provides funding to reinforce border management and fight against organised crime

EU countries will receive additional funding for projects aimed at enhancing security in the EU. The Commission has launched two calls for expression of interest: 

Call under the Internal Security Fund (ISF)

The Commission provides EUR 2 million under the Internal Security Fund (ISF) call “Validating new technologies to prevent, detect and investigate organised crime”, for projects focused on combating organised crime, particularly in three key areas: illegal firearms trafficking, environmental crimes, and trafficking in cultural goods. All these areas are highlighted in the EU Security Union Strategy 2020-2025 as among the main and most profitable activities of organised crime.

Project proposals must build on outcomes of security research and innovation, especially taking up results of EU-funded activities, in order to improve prevention, detection and investigation of firearms trafficking, trafficking in cultural goods and environmental crime, and, in all instances, involve training and guidance for law enforcement agencies.

Call under the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI)

Under the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) call “Promoting innovation in border checks and/or border surveillance by taking up research results”, which aims to reinforce border management, the Commission is providing EUR 15 million.

The call aims to support Member States in their programmes to test, validate, further pilot, transfer and deploy innovative technologies and methods for border checks or border surveillance, particularly those coming from EU-funded research and innovation projects on border management. The goal is to improve capabilities for automated, facilitated, modern border checks at external borders as well as for integrated surveillance of external borders.

The application deadline for both calls is 20 September 2024.

For any questions, Member States can contact their national contact points.

For More Information:

Funding contacts

Internal Security Fund

The Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI)

Cluster 3: Civil security for society