The Community of Users, revised as "Community of European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS)", provides a platform to share information across Member States and brings together the latest policy and research developments in an easily accessible format. It encourages the exchange of information and thereby supports those responsible for countering the various threats we face.

National and international policies have been initiated to contribute to enhanced preparedness and resilience of the EU. However, the issues of security, safety, and resilience concerns and affects many people in various disciplines. It covers many different sectors, numerous communities and a vast range of operational procedures for preparedness, prevention, detection, surveillance, response, and recovery.

The objectives of CERIS are: 

• To analyse identified capability needs and gaps in the corresponding areas
• To identify solutions available to address the gaps
• To translate capability gaps and potential solutions into research needs
• To identify funding opportunities and synergies between different funding instruments
• To identify standardisation needs
• To integrate the views of citizens

Therefore, effective coordination and interaction are essential between the various stakeholders involved. Exchanges between the stakeholders, ranging from policymakers, research, industry and practitioners in the EU Member States, are facilitated by targeted research projects commissioned by the EU.

Among the policy themes:

• Critical infrastructure protection
• Border security and customs
• CBRNE threats
• Crime and terrorism
• Health threats
• Disaster resilience and crisis management
• Societal resilience
• Other

The bi-annual week-long events serve as a forum for information exchanges between various actors of EU-funded security research (research, policy, industry, and practitioners).

On a second level, the improvement of synergies among future research, capacity-building, demonstration and training projects as well as industrial developments can be found. These synergies are fostered through the Community of Users events as well as through the annual mapping publication.