The JRC provides scientific and technical support to EU policies concerned with global security and crisis management through developing, testing and applying integrated, multi-disciplinary approaches and solutions to help to understand, mitigate and respond to potential risks and impacts. The JRC's R&D is also helping to improve the understanding and capacity for crisis management, from  prevention and preparedness to response. Furthermore, the JRC is also helping to implement the EU's objectives on the protection of the EU budget as well as improving the effectiveness and transparency of EU external aid..

The JRC’s research takes advantage of technological advances in ICT, including web technologies, geo-spatial modelling, as well as advanced automatic information (data, image and text) mining and analytics techniques. Global challenges that are currently being addressed by the JRC include humanitarian natural disasters and complex emergencies, health security, terrorism, organised crime, and CBRN threats.

The following institutional actions work in this area:

• Open Source Text Information Mining and Analysis (OPTIMA)
• Statistics and Information Technologies for Antifraud and Security (SITAFS)
• Geo-Spatial Information Analysis for Global Security and Stability (ISFEREA)
• Crisis Monitoring and Response Technologies (CRITECH)
• Geospatial Emergency Management Action (GEMMA)