Whereas the other three dossiers, climate and energy legislative package, Treaty of Lisbon and the European economic recovery plan dominated the EU summit the defence package was not controversial. It was a great victory for the French presidency as its proposals to strengthen the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) were endorsed by the European Council. This summit has marked a decisive step for the ESDP, reminiscent of the 1999 Helsinki summit.
The European Council has given a new impetus to the European Security and Defence Policy in order to meet the new security challenges. The European Council endorsed the Secretary-General/High Representative’s report on the implementation of the European security strategy entitled ‘Providing security in a changing world’ which stresses the continuing existence of the threats identified in 2003 and reveals new risks likely to threaten the security of the EU such as climate change, energy security, cyber-crime and piracy.
It is well known that the French Presidency main priority regarding defence is strengthening EU’s military capabilities. The European Council has subscribed to the declaration adopted by the General Affairs and External Relations Council on strengthening capabilities of the European Security and Defence Policy which is aiming at developing the EU´s capacity to deal with the risks and threats to its security identified in the European Security Strategy. The EU leaders have backed the declaration targets to enable the EU, to conduct simultaneously several civilian missions and military operations.
The European Council has confirmed the 1999 Helsinki goal. The European Council has stressed that Europe should be able in the near future of deploying 60 000 men in 60 days for a major operation. But the EU leaders have not established any deadline or specific financial commitments. A European Rapid Reaction Force will duplicate NATO’s work and will not add value as its clear it suffers from lack of resources. The EU leaders agreed that the EU should be able to conduct “two major stabilisation and reconstruction operations supported by a maximum of 10 000 men for at least two years” as well as “two rapid response operations of limited duration using the EU's battle groups.” Moreover, the European Council has agreed that the EU should be able to conduct simultaneously “an emergency operation for the evacuation of European nationals, a maritime or air surveillance/interdiction mission, a civilian-military humanitarian assistance operation lasting up to 90 days” likewise “around a dozen ESDP civilian missions (…) of varying formats, in a rapid reaction situation which could last several years.”
The Council has stressed “For its operations and missions, the European Union uses, in an appropriate manner and in accordance with its procedures, the resources and capabilities of Member States, of the European Union and, if appropriate for its military operations, of NATO.”
The Council has acknowledged that such a goal will require a commitment to develop capabilities which would entail pooling and sharing equipment projects. The declaration has identified several military capability initiatives which were approved last November, by the EU Defence Ministers, aiming at reinforcing the EU’s military capabilities as regards security and defence in the aviation, maritime, space and industrial fields.
The EU Defence Ministers decided to establish a European Air Transport Fleet (EATF). The signatory Member States have stressed that the EU will be more involved in military and civilian operations, and “that there is a clear lack of European military airlift capabilities to perform these missions.” The main aim is to reduce European air transport shortfalls by pooling aircraft such as the new Airbus A400M. The European Defence Agency has also made a commitment to improve Europe's maritime surveillance capability, in particular through the future surveillance Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) project and the networking of European military maritime surveillance systems. The French defence minister, Herve Morin, has said that France also wants to create “a joint European air fleet, like for the C17” (…) As for air and sea, why not have an aircraft carrier permanently stationed at sea which remains under the operational authority of the owner state but which is at the disposal at EU level?” Nine Member States, including the UK signed a Declaration of Intent to launch the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative (ECGI) which will promote the interoperability of European navies and their carrier air groups. The defence ministers also launched projects to enhance military space observation means.
The European Council have noticed these projects and it is determined to support such an effort and called on the Member States to “convert these commitments into national requirements in terms of equipment.”
France also wanted to promote joint European training courses as well as exchanges between national training bodies, It has stressed that it would be “a considerable strength” to have a “permanent European crisis management training centre” “to which France is willing to make a contribution.” The European Council has also backed the initiative for exchanges between young officers, inspired by the Erasmus programme with the aim to create a “European defence culture.” This initiative will be implemented on a national and voluntary basis, with assistance from the European Security and Defence College. The Member States agreed on a number of measures for encouraging and facilitating exchanges between their national training colleges such as training models on international issues.
Sarkosy believes that the EU should have a “permanent and independent strategic planning capability” in order not to be dependent of the availability of national command capabilities or NATO resources. Hence, the question of strengthening the EUMS to transform it into a command centre capable of managing EU military operations is on the agenda. This idea has been opposed by the UK. However, there has been a general change in British policy on ESDP. The EU defence ministers had agreed to enhance the capacity of EU military staff in Brussels to carry out strategic planning for missions. Javier Solana has stressed in its report the need for “Appropriate and effective command structures and headquarters capability” and the need to reinforce the EU “(…) ability to combine civilian and military expertise from the conception of a mission, through the planning phase and into implementation (…).” According to the European Council Conclusions “The European Council would encourage the efforts of the Secretary-General/High Representative to establish a new, single civilian-military strategic planning structure for ESDP operations and missions.” The EU leaders have therefore supported the creation of a single civil military structure for strategic planning for ESDP operations and missions. It seems, for the moment, a new directorate responsible for crises will be created within the EU Council. The staff for this new directorate will come from existing directorates and ftom the military headquarters or the Civil Communications Planning Committee (CCPC) which will have more powers in conducting operations. Obviously, behind this plan is the reform of the EU’s crisis management structures.
The EU is duplicating the work of the United Nations and NATO. There are no troops for all the NATO, EU and UN missions. Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberrry, the deputy chairman of the NATO military committee, has recently criticised the ESDP as regards equipment, operations and political commitment. He said “European forces tend to go it alone. There is duplication, as well as quantitative and qualitative problems.” He stressed that though the ESDP has “carried out 20 operations” but “only five involved more than 100 troops.”
