Observatory on European defence, November 2008

10-11 November 2008
EU General Affairs and External Relations Council / EU Defence Ministers - ESDP Missions, Military and Civilian Capabilities
The General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) met on 10-11 November and discussed the preparation of the December European Council, which is going to deal with the follow-up of the Treaty of Lisbon, energy, security and defence issues and the EU partnership with Eastern countries.
Ministers also discussed the preparation of the EU/Russia Summit (Nice, 14 November), in view of which the EU confirmed all the points of the 12 August and 8 September peace plans and the need for Russia's complete withdrawal from Georgia. They also called for a constructive restarting of the negotiations on how to create the security conditions and ensure stability in Abkhazia and South Ossetia which Moscow began, under the auspices of the EU, the UN and the OSCE, last 15 October in Geneva. As requested by the 1 September EU Extraordinary Council, the Council took note of the results of an in-depth analysis of the EU/Russia relationship, adopted by the Commission on 5 November. Despite the opposition of many State members, overcome only at the last minute, the study suggested that the negotiations, seen as advisable and necessary, should start up again. However, the negotiations' mandate, adopted unanimously, does not mean legitimating Georgia's status quo nor Russia's behaviour, considered contrary to EU principles and values. Furthermore, the Presidency asked for similar analyses to be conducted regularly, even after the Nice Summit. Finally, the EU confirmed its full support for Georgia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Although the meeting did not produce a joint written statement, Ministers decided to continue the negotiations so as to conclude a new strengthened agreement on the EU/Russia partnership at the technical level on 20-21 November and at the political level on 2 December. However, they failed to agree on the Georgian crisis. Moscow, in fact, although not recognizing the independence of the two secessionist regions, claimed to have respected the agreements, while the EU, for its part, did not think that Russia had fully implemented them, with particular reference to forces withdrawal, and demanded that Georgia's territorial integrity be restored. Nevertheless, settlement of the main differences in the difficult EU/Russia relationship facilitated the emergence of a climate of mutual trust.
Furthermore, the EU and Russia decided to call an OSCE Summit by mid-2009 so as to discuss the Russian proposal for a new collective security architecture in Europe. In the meantime, the parties renounced taking action in this regard, with particular reference to the anti-missile defence shield in Eastern Europe and the deployment of Russian tactical missiles in the Kaliningrad enclave (on Lithuania's border with Poland). Later, EU President Sarkozy had to scale down his statements so as to keep Poland and the Czech Republic from accusing him of not having a specific mandate to speak about national programmes on behalf of the whole EU.
The 10 November "External Relations" meeting, with the participation of the Ministers of Defence, dealt mainly with security and defence issues: review of the six-monthly report on ESDP development, military and civilian capabilities, EDA, ESDP operations. In addition, the Council took note of some concrete progress already made:
1) Adoption, by the GAERC, of the Common Action launching the EU NAVFOR Somalia - Atalanta Operation - an EU naval military operation to counter piracy off the Somali coasts, scheduled to begin in December. The operation's deployment will be possible thanks to a Coordination Unit (EU NAVCO), activated in Brussels at the EU Military Staff on 19 September, with the PSC maintaining its strategic direction and the EUMC the direction of military activities. Northwood was confirmed as the mission's operational Headquarters and Rear Admiral Jones as designated Commander, whereas the Greek Commodore Papaioannou was appointed as Forces' Commander. The mission shall be financed by 8.3 million euro as common costs and shall have an initial duration of one year from the declared initial operational capability. Thus far, France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, UK, Spain and Sweden have confirmed their participation in the mission, while Italy and Portugal are currently weighing up this option.
2) Agreement on the extension, as of June 2009, of the mandate of EUJUST LEX, the integrated mission on the rule of law in Iraq, and of EUBAM Rafah, the border assistance mission at the Rafah crossing point (on Gaza's border with Egypt), until 24 November 2009. As for the latter, it is important to say that Ministers decided not to resume the operational activities suspended since 13 June 2007. With reference to EUJUST LEX, on the occasion of the most important annual international conference of the chiefs of police, called by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and held on 10 November, the mission was awarded one of the most prestigious international awards for its excellence in "law enforcement and leadership". From its launch in 2005, the mission has trained about 2,000 judges, prison officers and police officers. Moreover, on 27 November, the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council urged the State Members to shelter, on a voluntary basis, up to 10,000 Iraqi refugees who have fled to Iraq's neighbour States. On the same day, the Iraqi Parliament approved the security agreement with the US , which schedules the US withdrawal for 2011.
3) Approval of the ministerial plans of engagement on military and civilian capabilities (copy transmitted to NATO). The Council confirmed the importance of the Capability Development Plan and the need to bridge the gaps in military capabilities (referring in particular to projection forces, space, maritime aspects, forces protection, information, communication and rapid reaction capabilities). As for civilian capabilities, they approved the report on the progress relating to the Civilian Headline Goal 2010 and the guidelines for systematizing the identification and application of "lessons learned" and "best practices" of ESDP civilian missions.
4) Progress in terms of forces projection (see below).
5) Signing of a letter of intent by 5 State Members on the Multinational Space-based Imaging for Surveillance, reconnaissance and observation (MUSIS) project.
6) Adoption of a Council declaration on cooperation between the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Organisation conjointe de coopération en matière d'armement (OCCAR).
7) Adoption of a training programme for young officers, based on the Erasmus exchange model, so as to improve ESDP interoperability. Such a programme, to be implemented on a voluntary basis, would cover the initial stages of training and would benefit from the support of the European Security and Defence College.

10 November 2008 
EU - European Defence Agency and Capabilities, Exercises
Alongside the GAERC, the EDA steering committee met and approved a European Defence Research and Technology (EDRT) Strategy, pointing out goals and means for implementing the development of 4 of the 12 priority areas identified by the Capabilities Development Plan prearranged by the EDA in July 2008, with the support of the EUMC:
- Counter Man Portable Air-Defence Systems (C-MANPADS);
- Mine Counter-Measures;
- Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED);
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence (in particular, detection of biological agents).
The 12 priority areas remain the core issue of the EDA future working plan approved by the Steering Committee, which provides for the implementation of concrete projects financed by 8 of the 30 million euro budget approved by GAERC, and sets out the guidelines for the Agency's 2009 activities. As for projects, the activities formalized by the EDA Steering Committee are quite different.
Concerning the projection of forces, considered the greatest shortcoming of the EU capabilities, 12 State Members signed a declaration of intent to take part in the formation of a European Air Transport Fleet (EATF). The document provides for the pooling of means of strategic transport (namely A400M and C130), to be carried out in different ways: the availability of aircraft, joint acquisition, provision or exchange of flight hours, sharing of supporting functions, such as maintenance and training. The initial operational capability (at a minimum one operating aircraft and a training programme for the crew) is scheduled to be reached in 2014, and full operational capability in 2017. France and Germany declared themselves willing to entrust EDA with the task of leading their bilateral project (it seems likely that Poland will join it) for the development of a new generation of heavy helicopters by 2020. While not setting a transition date, the Steering Committee approved the launch of a "Helicopter Tactics Training Programme", to be defined more precisely in 2009 so as to begin in 2010.
Ten State Members and Norway signed an agreement on a Joint Investment Programme on Innovative Concepts and Emerging Technologies (JIP-ICET).
Finally, the EDA approved two projects on maritime surveillance, one dealing with measures to fight against maritime mines and the other dealing with a future remote pilot air system.
As for the strengthening of the EU civilian and military capabilities, some exercises took place:
- one exercise - VAR 2008 - took place in France from 4 to 6 November, within the framework of the EU Civil Protection system. Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Czech Republic and Sweden tested a joint response, coordinated at the EU level (organizational agreements and chains of command), to face simultaneous NBC attacks;
- the first exercise against NBCR risks took place, within the EDA, in Belgium from 11 to 13 November. It involved about 100 national experts in addition to NATO observers. The exercise, which took place simultaneously in various places, was based on common procedures and practices developed in the last two years on Explosive Ordnance Disposals (EODs) containing NBCR agents/materials;
- the fourth exercise on crisis management - CME 08 - is going to take place from 24 November to 5 December, and will involve military and civilian means, structures and procedures. The exercise aims, in particular, at testing and improving decision-making processes. The Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) will be involved for the first time. The location, based in Africa, provides for the simultaneous operational planning and conduct, in the same theatre, of an EU civilian mission and an autonomous EU military operation.

27-28 November 2008 
EU Justice and Home Affairs Council - Fight against international terrorism
In the wake of the 26 November simultaneous attacks in Mumbai (India), which killed about 200 people, the Council's discussion dealt largely with terrorism. Brussels carried out coordinating measures to ensure medical assistance, consular support to those EU citizens without consular representation on site as well as evacuation assistance . Those terrible events confirmed the persistence of the risk of terrorism and the urgent need for resolute and coordinated action at the EU level.
The semestral report issued by the EU Counter-terrorism Co-ordinator, de Kerckhove, in addition to providing information on the national implementation of EU measures, identifies some priority targets for the future: enhancing information exchange, addressing radicalization and communication issues, organising an international dimension for counter-terrorism.
The Council urged the State Members to continue making efforts in different areas: radicalization (even on the internet), development of adequate legal tools (also with reference to the traceability of explosives), full resort to Eurojust and Europol, exchange of best practices, launch of new studies to counter the financing of terrorism, and NBCR risks.
Ministers also adopted conclusions concerning the creation of a specific database - in Europol's European Bomb Data System (EBDS) -to favour the exchange of technical information on NBCR terrorist events and materials that can be used for criminal purposes. In addition, the Council exhorted the State Members to create a rapid reaction mechanism, based on the consultation of the Schengen Information System (SIS), to identify people suspected of terrorism and organized crime.
The Council invited its competent services to assess the legal and operational questions obstructing the realization of a European Passenger Name Record (PNR), a mechanism proposed by the Commission a year ago and opposed by the European Parliament on 20 November.
Ministers adopted a framework decision emending the definition of terrorism, which now includes three kinds of offences: public instigation to terrorist acts, recruitment and training for terrorist purposes.

November 2008 
NATO - Afghanistan, Russia, Capabilities
The 54th annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly took place in Valencia from 14 to 18 November. On that occasion, the US president elect, Obama, sent a message to the outgoing President of the Assembly, the Portuguese first name Lello, with the hope of close cooperation with his successor, first name Tanner, later elected. The Assembly dealt with a number of issues.
As for the missions, in addition to the importance of continuing the KFOR mission, the centrality of the ISAF mission. was confirmed, as one of the operational priorities of the Atlantic Alliance. The latter should include both military and civilian aspects, linked to a regional strategy also involving Pakistan. From a military point of view, the requests for additional troops (about 10,000 units), to be deployed in the Southern and Eastern regions of the country, remain valid (on 13 November, Sweden decided to increase the number of its ISAF soldiers from 390 to 855 units in 2009, in addition to providing a C-130 Hercules and an HKP10 helicopter unit).
Other issues discussed concerned the relationship with Russia - regarding which the Assembly stressed the need to resume cooperation with Moscow, also considering some shared concerns, such as the fight against international terrorism - and the military transformation of the Atlantic Alliance in response to the new security threats.
In this regard, the NATO Secretary General, de Hoop Scheffer, reasserted that the question is not to choose between traditional collective defence tasks and those of expeditionary forces. For both purposes, he said, the priority is to review strategic and tactical transport capabilities and to have modern command, control and NBCR protection systems.
On 19-20 November, the NATO Military Committee met with partner countries (PfP, Mediterranean Dialogue, Ukraine and, for the first time, Albania and Croatia, in addition to the Pakistani Chief of Staff and the EUMC President) at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Discussions dealt mainly with the missions, particularly ISAF in Afghanistan, KFOR in Kosovo and maritime operations (such as Allied Provider, which, with the same goals, is going to work with the future EU mission Atalanta).
As for Afghanistan, the need for a solution that goes beyond mere military aspects in view of a long-term comprehensive approach, including economic and social reconstruction of the country was confirmed. Therefore, civil-military cooperation must be continued, involving the local authorities and providing for the training of Afghan security forces. On the occasion, Pakistan declared that it is an integral part of the solution for Afghanistan. In addition to the first intelligence exchange and coordination centre opened in April 2008 on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan to promote the fight against international terrorism and cooperation between NATO, Pakistani and Afghani authorities, which allowed 80% of ISAF forces to enter Afghanistan through Pakistan, formal instruments of cooperation between ISAF and Pakistani forces must be established.