In this Policy Briefing, we address two important questions. We look at the drivers of concern about terrorism and find that beyond individual characteristics, it is also affected by the occurrence of terrorism. When distinguishing between permanent and transitory terrorism, the first has a much...

In this Policy Briefing we address the question of whether there is a coherent and consistent policy when it comes to giving development aid. While one would theoretically argue that aid provision should be based on objective criteria set out to optimize governments' behavior or people's...

Human-induced security, or terrorism, is a threat to wellbeing in Europe and beyond. In this Policy Briefing, we investigate the risks involved in terrorism, both with respect to the likelihood and with respect to the consequences of acts of terrorism. Furthermore, we provide a basic analysis of...

The problem of piracy and other forms of maritime security is actually less severe than many people perceive. Nevertheless, it is a problem that needs to be addressed. To solve the problems around Somalia, the naval involvement should continue, and effective punishment for piracy must be...

When defining the absence of a threat as an economic good, it is necessary to define this good using the standard economic typology: is security a private, public, club or common good? We argue in this Policy Briefing that security provision can display characteristics belonging to any of these...

The New Agenda for European Security Economics (EUSECON) is a project that, since 2008, explores the challenges and opportunities in research on human-induced security risks. After defining security as a good that has both public and private characteristics, the research focuses on different...

The processes whereby security policy tackles security challenges and converts them into security priorities (at least since September 11, 2011) are criticized by experts working in the field as erratic and susceptible to media and society pressures. We are always being warned of the emergence...

One of the research areas of the New Agenda for European Security Economics (EUSECON) is society's response to insecurity. Solutions to enhance security often involve the development and supply of specific goods and services. This has led to an industry which has progressively evolved through...

At present and in the medium-term perspective, the security systems of most European countries are challenged by a number of social and economic trends: demographic change and the selective withdrawal of state authority from the security sphere. This process has been accelerated by current...

Terrorist actions can have a multitude of economic consequences that may adversely affect a number of economic indices, sectors and activities including growth and investment. From the markets' perspective, terrorist attacks are unforeseen events that, depending among other things on their...