Anthology of EU-funded projects, 2015-2024
This report examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied to border management and customs controls in EU-funded research projects. This report features a careful review of 75 projects funded between 2015 and 2024 – primarily under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe – representing a combined EU investment of approximately EUR 376 million. Key trends include the integration of diverse sensing technologies and AI-driven analytics for maritime surveillance, threat detection, and real-time decision-making. Projects often combine mobile platforms (e.g. drones and underwater vehicles) with fixed infrastructure and open-source intelligence to monitor borders more effectively. Unmanned vehicles are increasingly deployed for tasks ranging from port surveillance to smuggling detection. In areas like identity verification, projects are advancing contactless and on-the-move biometric systems, while also addressing privacy, ethics, and data protection concerns. Several projects explore predictive analytics for migration flows, cyber threats, and organised crime. Some projects directly address the societal and legal implications of AI, proposing safeguards and ethical frameworks for responsible deployment. Overall, EU-funded initiatives demonstrate the significant potential of AI to transform border management and customs controls. While some challenges remain, the breadth of innovation suggests strong momentum toward more intelligent, integrated, and ethically-grounded border management and customs controls solutions.
ANDERSON David;
BELCINEANU Alexandru-Ioan;
TZVETKOVA Marina;
2025-11-13
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC143223
978-92-68-33762-2 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 40536,
OP KJ-01-25-575-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC143223,
10.2760/1286492 (online),
