[zepatrik]

Wow this is just unacceptable.

> The Problem - Migrants (slide two in the gallery on the landing page)

You know that this is an important topic because "ZDF (former Neo) Magazin Royal" is behind that. They are an kind of investigative satire format, unfortunately topics like these are not too funny... But very good work from their side.

Frontex was always suspected and accused for not following any EU moral and legal processes, this is just a proof and absolutely unacceptable.

[mimischi]

I’d say they are the German version of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

[usrusr]

Certainly a very strong influence, much stronger now than before the 2020 hiatus/reboot, but it still retains more classic late show elements than Last Week Tonight (e.g. the stage band)

[morsch]

The slide is part of the SafeShore project (System for detection of Threat Agents in Maritime Border Environment[1][2]), which received ~5 million EUR in grants, the largest beneficiary being an Isreali defense contractor. I'm not entirely sure what it bought us, I'm certain it included a PDF report and a few powerpoint slides.

One of many (MANY) grants under H2020-EU.3.7. Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens programme with a total budget of 1.7 billion EUR[3].

Another example chosen at random[4]: Improving the Effectiveness of the Capabilities (IEC) in EU conflict prevention, 2 million EUR, beneficiaries seem to be universities and think tanks. Another one? Ok[5]: EfficieNT Risk-bAsed iNspection of freight Crossing bordErs without disrupting business, ~7 million EUR, 1.3 million of which went to -- for some reason -- the French government owned nuclear power research think tank CEA, other beneficiaries include manufacturers of things like airport metal detectors who apparently need millions of EU funds to improve their own products.

The H2020 in H2020-EU.3.7. is Horizon 2020[6], the 2014-2020 research funding framework (2014-2020 was a EU budget cycle, the current one is 2021-2027), which had an overall budget of an "estimated €80 billion of funding".

What's my point? I have no point, really, I don't know a lot about EU research funding in general or this domain in particular, but it was interesting to look this stuff up and if nothing else it's nice to see that these things are out in the open for anybody to look up, even if virtually nobody does. Given how much money is being spent here, I can't help but wonder what kind of fraction of a fraction civil society is spending checking up on all of these projects.

[1] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/700643

[2] http://safeshore.eu/, defunct, apparently 5 million wasn't enough to buy the domain for more than 4 years; working snapshot from late 2020: http://web.archive.org/web/20201128133711/http://safeshore.e...

[3] https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/id/H2020-EU.3.7.

[4] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/653371 from the page with all H2020-EU.3.7. programs https://cordis.europa.eu/search?q=contenttype%3D%27project%2...

[5] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/883424

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framework_Programmes_for_Resea...

[simplypassingby]

The CEA is not a think tank. It is indeed a public research institute specializing in nuclear energy but with zero contribution from private individuals or investors, nor does it fit any other part of the definition of think tank or is included in any think tank ranking. The CEA's annual budget is € 5 billion, whereas the IFRI (Institut Français des Relations Internationales, definitely a think tank) is only € 7 million.

Furthermore, the CEA is leading the project for very good reasons and the help of companies manufacturing airport metal detectors makes perfect sense: "3) Enhanced relocatable unit for non-intrusive detection of wide number of threats including explosives, illicit drugs, chemical warfare agents, nuclear and radioactive materials (NR) and special nuclear materials (SNM) such as enriched uranium and plutonium, 4) Trans-European RPM network for passive detection of illicit nuclear and radioactive (NR) materials combining detection facilities of different types and technologies" (simply quoting your sources)

[morsch]

Ok, you convinced me, it's a government research institute as opposed to a government research think tank.