Capability Gaps
MEDEA members using the Build, Define, Improve approach identified and documented fifty-five (55) capability gaps resulting in four Open Calls, aimed at linking the knowledge and experience acquired through constant interaction, to innovative solutions provided by the industry.
Capability Gap [3.CGF.12] LEAs require additional capabilities to intercept voice and data communication and decrypt / decipher them Background Practitioners need better capabilities to intercept and decrypt the ciphered communications between OCG members. The interception and decryption of these communications is a very difficult and time-consuming task. The vast number of commercial applications and the …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.17] Need for more Joint Action Days (JAD’s) in the region for performing checks based on risk indicators and existing intelligence Background LEAs should better utilise common events. Practitioners utilised their participation in Joint Action Days (JAD’s) organised by FRONTEX to perform control checks based on risk indicators and existing intelligence. Therefore, there …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.16] Need for a common and more frequent risk analysis process for the transport of goods that may dissimulate drugs Background Practitioners need a uniform Risk Analysis process. Although the Risk Analysis process is standardized there is different perception of risk across different organisations. Therefore, the same process will produce different results influenced …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.14] Requirement for stronger and more effective cooperation between stakeholders from various disciplines across different EU Member States and EU third countries Background There is a need to improve the current cooperation among different agencies involved in the same anti-crime operation. Improved cooperation between LEAs and Coast-guard authorities, custom authorities and judicial authorities …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.15] Need for additional capabilities for SIGINT, IMINT, OSINT to facilitate LEAs’ information analysis units Background Technological advancements in the fields of Signal Intelligence (SIGINT), Image Intelligence (IMINT), and Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) should be exploited to help competent authorities in their fight against drug smuggling. SIGINT not only can be used to gather …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.11] Better exploitation of existing databases and enforce open interfaces to data processing tools Background The practitioners would need a single and unified database that will include information from past cases and incidents. Records about known offenders and their modus operandi will assist practitioners to define a pool of suspects. The database should …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.9] Intelligence exchange between practitioners from different organisations and countries is needed from the early stages to monitor effectively the Organised Criminal Group (OCG) activities Background Intelligence sharing between practitioners serving in multi-disciple organisations (e.g., police, customs, and judicial authorities) is a required capability. Considering the cross-border character of the criminal activities and …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.13] Limitations in suppressing the non-legal transfer of funds (economic crime using the Hawala method and Cryptocurrencies) attributed to smuggling activities Background Practitioners need additional capabilities to first detect the illicit ways OCG are using to transfer funds and finance their activities. Financial networks like the Hawala system, or modern cryptocurrencies is a …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.18] Need for innovative solutions to advance the detection (and analysis) of concealed drugs within vehicles, containers, transported goods, and people Background The detection of drugs is a much needed for the LEAs. Detection should be improved by using widely equipment installed at specific locations. In addition, there is need for portable solutions …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.10] Need for improved surveillance capabilities for both land and sea smuggling routes Background Improved surveillance means are required for the detection of suspicious transported containers by both land and sea routes. LEAs need real – time geo-location information about suspected freights (online tracking). OCGs use several and different routes for smuggling drugs …
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Capability Gap [3.CGF.7] Need for common processes, procedures, and laws among practitioners to suppress online radicalisation Background The practitioners acknowledged that the identification of online user who posts terrorist/illegal content is difficult task. Yet, even if the LEAs can quantify the risk associated with specific online users there is confusion on what measures should be …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.5] Better collaboration is required with Educational and Social Services for minors possibly prone to be radicalised Background Although practitioners have become experienced to assess whether an individual is vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism because of radicalisation, they are often lacking the background information about these individuals. Subsequent steps like assess the …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.3&6] Insufficient coordination between various private and public actors on information gathering and reporting suspicious behaviour at local and regional level, while competent authorities and practitioners are not utilising at full level synergies and cooperation at national and international level Background Stakeholders from public, private, and volunteer sector are not cooperating efficiently to …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.8] Need for communication / public campaigns to enhance civil awareness regarding online radicalisation Background The challenges currently experiencing by many LEAs to collaborate effectively with citizens and in general public stakeholders, also affects the police response to radicalisation risks. Apart of closer, and better relations with society in general, LEAs need to …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.4] Practitioners and stakeholders are not fully exploiting the EU Internet Forum database Background Once the online radicalisation content is identified, it should be removed. However, the removal of online content is not a straightforward process, and it is subject to different regulations and procedures based on there it is hosted. Currently, the …
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Capability Gap [3.CGF.2] Difficulties for LEAs to remove online radicalisation content leading to violent extremism and terrorism Background Once the online radicalisation content is identified, it should be removed. However, the removal of online content is not a straightforward process, and it is subject to different regulations and procedures based on there it is hosted. …
Capability Gap [3.CGF.1] Limited access and use of automated tools to detect radicalisation content leading to violent extremism and terrorism Background The automatic detection of online illegal content (either content that facilitates radicalisation or promoting crime activities or provides instructions of how to perform them) is a much-needed capability for LEAs. The capability gap arises …
Capability Gap [2.CGF.34], [2.CGF.35], [2.CGF.36] Lack in EO Service awareness, skills, and acceptance Background 2.CGF.34 Gaps on current education curricula: Currently Earth Observation is regarded a high technological asset, regarded by many practitioners as far from their real tasks (Human). 2.CGF.35 Limited knowledge of the available (through EUROSUR) IMINT services is accompanied by reluctance to …
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Capability Gap [2.CGF.29], [2.CGF.30], [2.CGF.31], [2.CGF.32], [2.CGF.33] Insufficient EO Service quality Background 2.CGF.29 Gaps on the payloads and platform side: Need to improve the spatial resolution of satellite optical cameras and the area covered per observation (Technology). 2.CGF.30 Gaps on the endurance side: More persistent systems are required to enable longer endurance over border areas …
Capability Gap [2.CGF.25], [2.CGF.26], [2.CGF.27], [2.CGF.28] Gaps in EO Service timeliness Background 2.CGF.25 Gaps on the satellite imagery acquisition side: Need for integrated solutions to deliver images in real-time manner (Technology). Need for short cut-off times (i.e., from request to satellite image acquisition). 2.CGF.26 Gaps on the analysis side: Need to standardise and automate IMINT …
Capability Gap [2.CGF.24] Lack in special forces (rapid deployment teams) Background Each EU MS located at the EU external borders is responsible for the management of their borders, thus it is a national obligation to proceed with necessary actions to prevent crisis situations and to respond with the available means effectively, at an early stage, …
Capability Gap [2.CGF.21] & [2.CGF.22] & [2.CGF.23] Lack of a Common Prefrontier Intelligence picture Prior to introducing and describing these three gaps, the different border types (airport, green and blue) should be introduced. Airport borders are the least challenging for practitioners to control. Border crossers arrive in a confined space, are visible as they walk …
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Capability Gap [2.CGF.20] Lack of a Common Prefrontier Intelligence picture Background A solution that will offer the desired prefrontier intelligence picture for various border types is required. This involves intelligence from land borders, maritime borders, and intelligence sharing among practitioners from different discipline organisations in the same country (initially) and subsequent cooperation between multidiscipline organisations …
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Capability Gap [2.CGF.18] & [2.CGF.19] Lack of early detection in difficult/challenging landscapes / weather conditions Background Border security and surveillance at the EU outside borders is a 24×365 operation required to ensure EU MS security against a variety of threats. As such, reliable long-range threat detection and positive identification of potential threats at day and …
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Capability Gap [2.CGF.17] Insufficient technology adoption mechanisms Background There are concerns about an “innovation emergency” across practitioners’ organisations from EU MS, the causes of which is related to limited or restricted adoption of technological solutions by them. The reasons that SOTA technology tools are not embraced by practitioners are: (1) The practitioners’ institution strategy is …
Capability Gap [2.CGF.16] Underutilised lessons learned culture Background Another gap that surfaced from the practitioners’ workshop is related with the overall lessons learnt process. More specifically, the need for the adoption of a solid approach to efficiently exploit lessons learnt from past events and other EU MS was identified. Knowledge developed from dealing with similar …
Capability Gap [2.CGF.15] Insufficient safeguards of intelligence about practitioners’ assets and resources Background Practitioners would like to prevent adversaries from gathering intelligence about them. This is described with capability gap number 2.CGF.15. In detail, security personnel operating along the borders, apart from the fact that they are custodians of sensitive information (both classified and unclassified) …
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Capability Gap [2.CGF.14] Lack of systematic identification and removal of illegal context on the internet Background The practitioners had identified that they need technology solutions to assist them with the detection of illegal content in the web so they can remove it afterwards. This is described in Capability Gap Finding 2.CGF.14. Upon the identification of …
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Capability Gap [2.CGF.13] Lack in support of legacy / deployed solutions Background The practitioners indicated that they are using already a large number of technology solutions for border surveillance tasks. These technology solutions vary from surveillance cameras (at the beginning the installed base of cameras were deployed for daily observation and at a later stage …
Capability Gap [2.CGF.12] Lack of a multi-sectoral ecosystem for security solutions. Background Security practitioners need solutions and products with open/common interconnection interfaces for systems that will be deployed in the borders. Further to Capability Gap No 2.CGF.11: Absence of security solution standardisation and certification, an approach is required to interconnect (with minimum effort) solutions from …
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Capability Gap [2.CGF.11] Absence of security solution standardisation and certification Background Practitioners highlighted the lack of commonly accepted and used technology standards for the security solutions deployed. Currently the security solutions are standardised as stand-alone systems. Most of the security solutions are vendor specific and not standardised / certified for deployment and interworking with existing …
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Capability Gap [4.CGF.20] Need for a solid approach to efficiently exploit lessons learnt from past floods Background Another gap identified during the Flash Flood workshop is related with the overall lessons learnt process. More specifically, the need for the adoption of a solid approach to efficiently exploit lessons learnt form past floods was identified. Better …
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Capability Gap [4.CGF.19] Need for standardized information sharing among all stakeholders engaged in response to flash flood events. Background Standardisation aspects that need to be considered in order to efficiently exploit lessons learnt from a past flash flood event, were also discussed during the Flash Flood workshop. It was agreed between the invited exerts that …
Capability Gap [4.CGF.18] Need for solutions to efficiently archive past flood events (both for prevention and preparedness) in a standardized format and make them accessible to practitioners and relevant stakeholders. Background In the aftermath of a flash flood, it is of vital importance to have a coherent picture of the event (conditions under which it …
Capability Gap [4.CGF.17] Need for improving awareness of population toward natural hazards alerts Background Apart from the need for an automated real time situational awareness, discussed under 4.CGF.13, and the need to disseminate scientific and technical flash flood information to the authorities, discussed under 4.CGF.11, it is also important to improve the general population awareness …
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Capability Gap [4.CGF.16] Need for efficient and specific rescue plans in case of flash floods Background During the prevention phase of the disaster management cycle for flash floods appropriate rescue plans need to be developed for every flash flood prone area and be in place so as to be exploited during the response phase. The …
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Capability Gap [4.CGF.15] Need for efficient and specific rescue means in case of flash flood Background During the response phase of a flash flood event, a persisting gap seems to be the exploitation of appropriate rescue means. Efficient and specific means need to develop and widely applied for a robust response. Existing rescue systems (e.g., …
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Capability Gap [4.CGF.14] Need for robust & resilient communications means in case of natural hazards Background The analysis of this gap revealed, the need to identify ways to better disseminate the outcomes weather forecasting and flood modelling to the authorities emerged. Considering the fact that that in both weather forecasting and flood modelling the probabilistic …
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Capability Gap [4.CGF.13] Need for an automatically real time situational awareness and decision support systems Background Due to the quick evolution of a flash flood, as also discussed under 4.CGF.12, those who operate in the field (First Responders, volunteers and other representatives from the local authorities), as well as those who coordinate the crisis management, …
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Capability Gap [4.CGF.12] Need for full exploitation of aerial means and Earth Observation during the response phase of a flood event and their incorporation in real time situational awareness systems. Background One of the characteristics of a flash flood is a very quick evolution, so a close follow up is needed to organise the rescue …
Capability Gap [4.CGF.11] Need for better dissemination of scientific/technical information related to flash flood event to the authorities. Background The analysis of this gap revealed, the need to identify ways to better disseminate the outcomes weather forecasting and flood modelling to the authorities emerged. Considering the fact that that in both weather forecasting and flood …
Capability Gap [4.CGF.10] Need for improved (spatially and temporally) weather forecasts and more accurate tracking of flooded areas Background One of the main challenges for flash flood events during the prevention phase of the disaster management cycle is to have an as accurate as possible estimation of the area where the flash flood event is …
Capability Gap Health risks related to the daily operations of practitioners Background Practitioners operate in a highly stressful environment, often amid humanitarian crises. They face health hazards related to both psychological and physical health, two aspects closely inter-related in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has made a huge impact on the psychology of …
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Capability Gap Existing technological tools used by practitioners are outdated Background There is a general lack of advanced technological mechanisms and resources at the disposal of practitioners, which would be vital in order to improve efficiency in preventive security measures. For example, there is a perceived need for sophisticated border crossing preventive mechanisms such as …
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Capability Gap Lack of a common risk analysis process Background The Common Integrated Risk Analysis Model (CIRAM) is a model that LEAs in Member states have to apply. It is regulatory by FRONTEX and mandatory for all Member States integrating all the aspects from border management. The monitoring and assessment are carried out by FRONTEX …
Capability Gap Information databases / repositories from various practitioners at National and European level are not interconnected. Background Information exchange among practitioners of EU Member States, as well as between Member States and third countries, is of crucial importance. Limited access to information regarding third countries provides an additional obstacle. Municipalities, NGOs, and universities have …
Capability Gap Lack of effective and enhanced cooperation among EU Member States, as well as between Member States and third countries – Need for an advanced return process. Background A priority of utmost importance is the effective cooperation not only among Member States but also with third countries, whether they are countries of origin or …
Capability Gap No adequate training is provided to practitioners regarding current legislation with respect to migrant smuggling and the protection of unaccompanied minors. Background There is a need for consistent and continuous training regarding identification techniques at the external borders, which should mainly consist of screening technology and up-to-date workshops on investigative tools, persecution processes, …
Capability Gap Insufficient means and lack of coordination for effective Search and Rescue (SaR)Operations Background Although search and rescue as a definition is not present in the online Cambridge dictionary (2021)[1] Science Daily[2] defines as search and rescue (SAR) an operation mounted by emergency services, often well-trained volunteers, to find someone believed to be in …
Capability Gap Need for a common European migration and asylum policy and need to amend and reinforce the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), so that practitioners’ requirements and needs are represented within the CEAS network. Background The Common European Asylum System (CEAS) (negotiations started in 1999) is a legal and policy framework developed to guarantee …
Capability Gap Absence of an independent authority (e.g. Observatory) to monitor NGO operations Background There are institutions monitoring the application of human rights and checking this at both national level and higher levels (e.g., at the EU level or with FRA institution, an organization in charge of monitoring migration issues and human rights). However, these …
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Capability Gap Lack of adoption of innovative tools in firefighting Mismatch between established procedures and capabilities enabled by innovative solutions (ex: use of UAVs). Innovative technological solutions (e.g. social Media analysis from the residents within the affected area) are not easily adopted by professionals used to implement traditional procedures. Bureaucratic and financial issues delay the …
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Capability Gap Limits in implementing in-place sheltering Misconceptions concerning the use of houses as shelters. No specific guidelines exist for home-protection in WUI areas. No building standards in vulnerable WUI environments. People do not feel safe in their houses when surrounded by fire
Capability Gap Lack of evidence-based knowledge regarding evacuation due to fire behavior in Wildland Urban Interface areas Difficulties in evacuating a large number of people in a small amount of time, in an attempt to prevent people from getting trapped, while trying to escape Formal guidelines and evacuation plans do not exist for WUI settlements. Evacuation instructions …
Capability Gap Inadequate fire-fighting knowledge and shortage of fire-suppression resources and operational means for operating in Wildland Urban Interface areas There is no adequate knowledge concerning wildfire management in WUI areas, a non-homogeneous environment with numerous particularities ((including human presence spatial and temporal patterns). Missing geographic information about people and buildings in danger during a wildland fire. Challenges in training of first responders in …
Capability Gap Lack of evidence-based Knowledge (including risk assessment and cascading effects) on fire behavior in Wildland Urban Interface areas Difficulty to accurately anticipate the fire development and the cascading effects in WUI areas. Heterogeneity of the conditions inside WUI areas, notably concerning fuel categories (buildings, gardens and natural vegetation) and spatial distribution patterns. Scattered presence of individuals …
Capability Gap Lack of interoperable systems and real-time situational awareness in firefighting Not All Stakeholders Share The Same Operational Picture. Lack of communication, cooperation and information-sharing culture between different authorities No interoperability of systems across organisations. Plans are shared among agencies but not integrated in a common platform. Missing culture, training and infrastructure to share Common Operational Picture (COP) during the incident …
Capability Gap Lack of reliable and real-time information on crisis communication People don’t know where to get reliable information from. People do not receive clear and straightforward information. As a consequence, they seldom follow recommendations.
Capability Gap [4.CGF.2] Lack of a Standardized and Interdisciplinary Methodology for Developing Wildland Urban Interface Prevention Plans Background Stakeholders (First Responders, local authorities, and homeowners/residents) elaborate prevention plans individually, often following different methodologies Workshop Findings First Responders, local and regional authorities, homeowners, residents developed prevention plans individually (if they develop any), without consultation and guidance from …
Capability Gap [4.CGF.1] Inadequate perception of fire risk and lack of risk awareness in Wildland Urban Interface areas Background Lack of security culture: wildfire risk prevention isn’t integrated in the mindset and lifestyle of the citizens living in the WUI areas. Neither perception nor ownership of fire risk: most citizens remain inactive even if they …
