13 Presidency report on European Security
and Defence Policy
| (28682)
—
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| German Presidency Report on European Security and Defence Policy
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| Legal base | — |
| Department | Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 8 June 2007and Minister's letter of 11 June 2007
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| Previous Committee Report | None; but see HC 41-iv (2006-07), para 13 (14 December 2006)
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| To be discussed in Council | 21-22 June 2007 European Council
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
|
Background
13.1 At their 1998 summit meeting in St Malo, the Prime Minister
and President Chirac proposed that the European Union should have
"the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible
military forces": in particular, the military capacity to
take on humanitarian tasks, rescue, peace-keeping and the tasks
of combat forces in crisis management (as listed in Article 17.2
EU, known as Petersberg tasks). These proposals were adopted at
the Cologne European Council in June 1999.
13.2 At the 1999 NATO Washington Summit and, subsequently, the
December 2000 Nice European Council, both organisations agreed
that the EU would act only where NATO as a whole was not engaged.
NATO also agreed at the Washington summit to support ESDP with
the so-called "Berlin-plus" arrangements, whereby the
EU can call on key NATO facilities in order to run its own military
operations. The Helsinki European Council in December 1999 set
Member States a military capability target known as the Headline
Goal — deploying 50-60,000 troops, capable of conducting
the full range of Petersberg Tasks, within 60 days, sustainable
for up to a year, with air and naval support as necessary, before
the end of 2003. From the likely scenarios envisaged, the EU Military
Staff (EUMS) generated the "Helsinki Headline Catalogue"
which specifies which capabilities are required in each of 144
capability areas. Member States aimed to address these shortfalls
through the November 2001 European Capabilities Action Plan (ECAP).
13.3 Notwithstanding the findings of the first phase of ECAP in
May, the June 2003 Thessaloniki European Council confirmed that
ESDP was operational across the full range of Petersberg tasks,
albeit limited and constrained by recognised capability shortfalls.
13.4 The work that remained to be done to fulfil all the aspects
of the Helsinki Headline Goal led the June 2004 European Council
nonetheless to approve a new Headline Goal 2010, which focuses
on the qualitative aspects of capabilities — interoperability,
deployability and sustainability — as the basis of Member
States' work on meeting capability shortfalls in the medium term.
13.5 At the same time, the December 2003 European Security Strategy,
identified, in place of large-scale aggression against any Member
State, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
regional conflicts, state failure and organised crime as "new
threats which are more diverse, less visible and less predictable".
This and the EU's Headline Goal 2010 aspirations led in 2004 to
the Battlegroups initiative — each Battlegroup based on
a combined arms, battalion-size force (1,500 troops) reinforced
with combat support and combat service support; sustainable in
the field for 30 days, extendable up to 120 days; capable of standalone
operations or for the initial phase of large operations; employable
across the full range of both the Petersberg tasks and those identified
in the European Security Strategy; designed specifically, but
not exclusively, to be used in response to a request from the
UN.
13.6 At the 2004 Capability Commitment Conference, Member States
made an initial commitment to the formation of 13 battlegroups.
Four member states (UK, France, Italy and Spain) provided their
national battlegroups at an early stage of the programme, and
in 2006 a German-French battlegroup with contributions from Belgium,
Luxembourg and Spain had achieved partial operational capability
for evacuation and extraction. From January 2007, the EU was to
have the full operational capability to undertake two battlegroup-size
rapid response operations, including the capability to launch
both operations almost simultaneously.
13.7 The EU's civilian crisis management capability, or civilian
ESDP, has developed in tandem, principally since the Helsinki
European Council in December 1999. The June 2000 Feira European
Council listed four priority areas in which the EU should acquire
civilian capabilities — police, the rule of law, civil administration
and civil protection — with the goal by 2003 of a police
force of up to 5,000 personnel contributing to international missions
across the range of conflict prevention and crisis management
operations. The December 2004 European Council endorsed a Civilian
Headline Goal 2008 which envisages the deployment of civilian
ESDP capabilities within 30 days of the decision to launch a mission
(e.g., to help with security sector reform and support to disarmament
and demobilisation processes) while the December 2005 European
Council agreed on a concept for setting up and deploying civilian
response teams with the initial goal of a pool of up to 100 experts
by the end of 2006 (for early assessment of a crisis situation,
support for the establishment of civilian ESDP missions and support
to an EU special representative or an ongoing civilian operation;
mobilised and deployed within five days of a request).
The ESDP Presidency report
13.8 Each Presidency submits a report on European Security and
Defence Policy to the European Council (in December or June):
recording significant developments over the six months of each
Presidency, referring where appropriate to activities undertaken
in earlier months, highlighting progress in specific areas and
drawing attention to others where further work is needed. The
report concludes with a mandate from the Council for the incoming
Presidency.
The German Presidency report
13.9 The report is a record of ESDP developments during the German
Presidency in the first half of 2007. The main sections are EU
Operational Activities, Development of Civilian and Military Capabilities,
Human Rights and Gender Issues, Africa and Co-operation with International
Organisations and third states. The report also covers the Civilian-Military
Cell and Operations Centre; Space; Civil Military Co-ordination;
Disarmament, Demobilisation and Rehabilitation and Security Sector
Reform; Conflict Prevention; European Security and Defence Policy
Training and Exercises. The report concludes with a mandate from
the Council which prioritises areas for the Portuguese Presidency
to take forward over the next six months.[32]
13.10 In his 8 June Explanatory Memorandum, the Minister for Europe
at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) explains
that the report is in three parts because "each section is
currently being discussed in the relevant working groups",
and that a complete report will only be available shortly before
it is passed to the Political and Security Committee for its agreement
to submit the report to the European Council; and that, with the
Political and Security Committee currently scheduled to see the
report on 13 June, there will not be sufficient time to clear
the report before the European Council — hence the submission
of this latest draft. He undertakes to forward a complete report
as soon as it is available but says that, as the majority of the
report has already been agreed in the working groups, he anticipates
that "only small additions, such as the missing sections
on Canada and Ukraine, and some textual amendments will be made
before submission to the Political and Security Committee".
13.11 The Minister goes on to welcome the Report as a comprehensive
description of progress and achievements in European Security
and Defence Policy under the German Presidency, in which, he says,
"the UK has continued to take a leading role in developing
European Security and Defence Policy to ensure that it remains
in line with our objectives of having a more capable, coherent
and active policy, which has strong relations with other international
organisations and non-EU states". Once again he helpfully
summarises the Report as follows.
Operational
Activities
BOSNIA
"The mandate for the EU military mission in
Bosnia expires December 2007. However, as a result of the Bosnian
elections in October 2006 it was agreed to implement a transition
plan authorising the draw down of troops from 6000 to 2500. The
UK supported this decision as it was our view that the military
mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina was now complete.
"The draw down began in February 2007 and saw
UK troops not being replaced on the completion of their tour in
March 2007. A small force of EU military personnel remains to
close down the mission's Banja Luka HQ and ensure a smooth transition
to the local authorities under the guidance of the EU police mission.
This is expected to be completed by August 2007.
"Of prime importance to the security sector
is the implementation of effective police reform. The EU police
mission, EUPM, continues to play an important role in this process
and is working hard on building indigenous capacity to tackle
organised crime and bring war criminals to justice, and also on
improving policing standards through regular inspections.
KOSOVO
"It is likely that the EU will deploy a rule
of law mission to Kosovo once its status has been settled this
year and the UN mission (UNMIK) leaves. A Planning Team has been
sent to Kosovo to ensure appropriate contingency planning is in
place for any future EU role; it is important that continues in
step with the UN-led Kosovo Status Process. There is a broad consensus
within the international community that the military requirement
will continue to be performed by KFOR/NATO in a post-final status
Kosovo.
EASTERN
EUROPE AND SOUTHERN CAUCASUS
GEORGIA
"The EU Special Representative's Border Support
Team in Georgia started in April 2005 with a mandate mainly to
advise the Georgian Border Guard and to provide mentoring in the
field. That mandate has evolved and expanded to include assisting
the border guard prepare a comprehensive reform strategy, including
the transition from a military to a civilian service (the Georgian
Border Police). Much more work has yet to be done on assisting
the Georgians with implementation of the reform and also in the
drafting of a Border Management Strategy. This work is identified
as a priority in Georgia's European Neighbourhood Policy Action
Plan.
MOLDOVA
"In 2006 the Council expanded the EU Special
Representative's Office to support the EU Border Assistance Mission
(EUBAM) between Moldova and Ukraine. The EU Special Representative's
expanded team comprises four advisers located in Odessa, Chisinau
and Kiev. Their role is to maintain a political overview and to
ensure continuing political commitment of the Moldovan and Ukrainian
governments. The EU Special Representative and his expanded team
are mandated until February 2008. The mission continues to make
a real difference on the ground working with the Ukrainian and
Moldovan customs and borders authorities offering advice and training
to build their capacity and has encouraged greater information
exchange between the two sides.
MIDDLE EAST
IRAQ
"From July 2005 the EU has been running an Integrated
Rule of Law Mission for Iraq (EUJUST LEX) aimed at improving the
Iraqi criminal justice system through training courses in the
EU. Since starting, the courses have been restructured in order
to enable new specialised courses for Iraqi senior officials.
Secondments are also being offered and with an expanded Baghdad
Liaison Office, strategic advice to the Iraqi Ministry of Justice
is available at the request of the Minister. The UK continues
to host the Baghdad Liaison Office in the British Embassy compound.
Over 1000 senior Iraqi officials from the police, the judiciary
and the penitentiary have been trained so far in EU Member States.
The current mandate of the mission expires in December 2007 but
discussions are ongoing in Brussels regarding the mission's future
beyond this.
OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES
"The EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) Rafah
has allowed the Palestinians to re-open the border between Gaza
and Egypt following Israeli disengagement. It provides reassurance
to all parties that the border is being properly operated. This
has a real impact on the lives of people in Gaza by improving
their economic prospects and by allowing them greater freedom
of movement.
"The EU takes the security of its monitors seriously.
The Palestinian Authority is responsible for providing security
at the Rafah border through a substantial security contingent.
There is also a small EU specialist security team. Developments
in the Occupied Territories have limited the border crossing's
operation since June 2006, but recently the situation has improved
and 5000 people a week are currently able to use the crossing.
"Launched in January 2006 with a 3-year mandate,
the EU Police Mission in the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS)
is helping support the establishment of a professional Palestinian
police and prison service. This began as a DFID-funded project,
but conversion to European Security and Defence Policy in January
2006 secured wider EU support. Member States confirmed during
the mission's review in September 2006 that it continues to play
an important role. Its activities have been limited, however,
since the Hamas election victory. Hopes of re-engagement following
the recent appointment of an independent Minister of the Interior
were dashed by the Minister's resignation in May. A decision on
re-engagement is now pending the appointment of a non-Hamas successor
with whom the EU can work.
AFRICA
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC)
"The EU met the UN request for a force to support
the UN's mission during the DRC elections and also strengthened
its police advisory mission (EUPOL Kinshasa) to advise on public
order and crowd control issues during the election. The
EU military mission was successful in providing deterrence and
in maintaining peace and order, particularly in Kinshasa, during
the electoral process while working closely with the UN and the
Congolese authorities. Having overseen the transfer of
power to the new government, the EU military mission has now finished.
The police reinforcements also drew down in March 2007, leaving
the remainder of EUPOL Kinshasa to transfer the Integrated Police
Unit to the Congolese National Police, before closing at the end
of June 2007. EUPOL played a key role, in co-operation with the
EU military mission, in helping to protect the institutions of
the transition and in helping the Congolese police to keep order
in the capital during the election period, including by co-ordinating
the Congolese police crowd control elements. EUPOL Kinshasa will
be replaced by a new police mission, EUPOL RD Congo, which will
have a strategic rather than operational mandate, and will work
on the police and criminal justice pillars of security sector
reform. The mission is due to be launched on 01 July 2007, pending
Council approval.
"EUSEC RD Congo and the related Chain of Payments
Project in the DRC constitute the EU's first Security Sector Reform
mission. It provides advice and assistance to the DRC Government
on army integration and military payments systems. It also provides
much needed co-ordination of international efforts in this field.
The extended mission will work in close co-operation with EUPOL
RD Congo, and the European Commission's justice project, as part
of the wider security sector reform process. It is possible that
the two missions will be amalgamated in March next year to increase
cohesion of the EU effort.
SUDAN
"The EU continues to monitor, mentor, and advise
African Union personnel in Darfur and Addis Ababa. It has provided
police mentors who are working with their AU counterparts, supporting
policing of the Internally Displaced People camps. The EU officers
also run training courses in-theatre aimed at improving, amongst
other things, the monitoring and mentoring skills of the African
Union police.
"The African Union has extended the African
Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) mandate until the end of June 2007
and has agreed that a hybrid African Union-UN force should take
over pending [agreement of the details and] the Sudanese government's
approval. This will take some time to prepare and AMIS will continue
in the meantime. The EU is therefore focussing on meeting its
current commitment to support the African Union in the interim.
African Peace Facility funding continues to play a vital role
with support so far totalling €242 million with a recent
further commitment of €40m. The UK has continued its high
level of bilateral commitment: £73 million since 2004.
"A number of UK personnel have also been deployed
as police officers, military observers and advisers.
Asia
Afghanistan
"European nations contribute over 16,000 personnel
to the International Stabilisation Afghan Force (ISAF) and the
Commission and Member States have contributed €3.7 billion
in aid to Afghanistan since 2002.
"Member States will launch a civilian European
Security and Defence Policy mission this summer in Afghanistan
in policing with linkages to the wider rule of law. Re-establishing
the rule of law is critical to Afghanistan's long-term stability
but progress has been slow. This is undermining the Government
of Afghanistan's efforts to establish its writ across the country
and its ability to demonstrate to the Afghan people that governance
is improving. There is currently a window of opportunity in the
rule of law sector with renewed international engagement from
all major donors. The UK has contributed significantly to the
inception of and the planning for this mission. We have secured
priority for mentoring in key ministries — particularly
the Ministry of the Interior and the Attorney General's Office.
We have also secured a mandate that makes the linkages between
police reform and the wider rule of law explicit, and that has
countering narcotics as a cross-cutting priority. The mission
will participate in the new International Police Co-ordination
Board, which will bring together all the international police
donors, the UN and the Afghan Government for the first time to
co-ordinate their efforts.
ATHENA
Review
"The EU has a special funding mechanism to keep
the common funding of EU military activity away from wider community
funding. Current and recent EU-led operations funded through ATHENA
are ALTHEA in Bosnia, AMIS and the EU military mission to Kinshasa
in the Congo, which recently ended. The current UK share of ATHENA
common funding for 2006 and 2007 is about 17.1%. The amount paid
by the UK is determined by the extent of ongoing EU operations.
Capabilities
Development
of Civilian Capabilities
"Under the Civilian Headline Goal 2008 the EU
has made significant progress in identifying capability shortfalls
in all the priority areas: police, rule of law, civilian administration,
civil protection, monitoring and support to the EU Special Representative.
"In accordance with the Civilian Capabilities
Improvement plan, noted by the Council on 11 December 2006, implementation
of the Headline Goal process has focused on mission support capabilities;
co-operation with non-EU States, international organisations (IOs)
and non-governmental Organisations (NGOs); Lessons Learned from
the Civilian Headline Goal 2008 Process and civilian-military
coordination.
"From early 2007, Civilian Response Teams have
been available for deployment with approximately 100 experts having
received training. Their expertise covers all of the priority
areas outlined in the Headline Goal.
Development
of Military Capabilities
"As part of the Headline Goal 2010 process,
the EU Force Catalogue 2006 was completed in November 2006. This
provided a comprehensive summary of the military forces declared
by Member States as potentially available for EU-led crisis management
missions. Work is now underway on producing the Progress Catalogue,
which will highlight the remaining shortfalls in the capability
development process. This should be completed by November 2007.
The Progress Catalogue will not only identify the operational
risk associated with the capability gaps identified but that it
also identifies excesses in offered capability. This will allow
Member States to look at what types of capability they should
be procuring (or procuring more of) and also what the EU does
not need.
European
Capability Action Plan
"The European Capability Development Plan (ECDP)
follows on from the work the European Defence Agency (EDA) completed
in 2006 on the EU's Long Term Vision (LTV). This considered the
probable strategic changes over the next 20-30 years and their
impact on EU military forces with the ultimate intention of directing
EU military Research and Technology. The results of the Capability
Development Plan should enable the European Defence Agency to
draw conclusions on what capabilities the EU will need in the
future, where the current capability gaps are and where there
are opportunities for different Member States to collaborate on
programmes.
BATTLEGROUPS
"The UK will be contributing a single nation
Battlegroup in the second half of 2008 and in co-operation with
the Dutch we will provide a joint amphibious Battlegroup in the
first half of 2010.
EUROPEAN DEFENCE AGENCY (EDA)
"The European Defence Agency is addressing capability
requirements and is taking forward work on the Headline Goal 2010.
The current work plan included continuation of flagship projects,
(unmanned air vehicles, Armoured Fighting Vehicles, Command, Control
and Communication) and work on Air to Air Refuelling; Network
Enabled Capability; improvised explosive devices and maritime
surveillance. There are also new areas of interest: Strategic
lift; Interoperability of space ground stations; and Combat equipment
for dismounted soldiers.
CIVILIAN-MILITARY
CELL AND OPERATIONS CENTRE
"The Civilian-Military Cell within the EU Military
Staff continues its work to improve the coherence between the
different strands of EU activity in planning and managing operations.
It has contributed to the setting up of European Security and
Defence Policy civilian, civilian-military and military operations
in Aceh, Rafah and the Democratic Republic of Congo. During the
civilian Aceh Monitoring Mission, which ended in December 2006,
the Civilian-Military Cell played an important role in planning
and launching the operation. From January 2007, the Operations
Centre has been ready for activation by a Council Decision to
run an autonomous EU mission if appropriate. This will provide
valuable professional capability for running civilian, civilian-military
missions and co-ordinate disaster relief when appropriate.
CIVILIAN-MILITARY
CO-ORDINATION
"As part of the work plan of the trilateral
(UK, Austria, Finland) non-paper agreed ahead of the UK Presidency,
we completed a Concept for Comprehensive Planning for EU crisis
management. This provides a methodology for bringing the EU's
instruments together in a single planning framework for any particular
crisis response, to ensure synergy from the outset and to understand
the links and dependencies between the various actors. The Austrian
and Finnish Presidencies subsequently produced papers on a framework
for the management of EU crisis management operations and on possible
solutions for improved situational awareness respectively. The
German Presidency has not initiated any new conceptual work on
this issue but continues the implementation of the work done so
far.
HUMAN
RIGHTS AND GENDER ISSUES
"Work continued to implement the checklists
on Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325
on women, peace and security and UNSCR 1612 on Children and Armed
Conflict. Human Security, Human Rights and Gender equality are
key principles in the EU's foreign and security policy and every
effort is made by all Member States to integrate them in the early
planning and conduct of European Security and Defence Policy operations.
EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY AND AFRICA
"Assistance to the African Union and sub-regional
organisations on building Africa's own crisis management capacities
is in the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy
Action Plan for support to Peace and Security in Africa. The basis
for all European Security and Defence Policy involvement in Africa
is the need for co-ordination both with other international organisations,
particularly the UN and G8, and with the other Common Foreign
and Security Policy tools of the EU, such as aid and development.
Key to this work is the principle of African ownership.
"Peace and Security was a key element of the
EU/Africa Strategy agreed in December 2005. The Strategy committed
the EU to support African conflict prevention efforts through
substantial and sustained support through the African Peace Facility
and to provide support to the development of the African Standby
Force (ASF). The EU's implementation of its commitments will be
shaped by the EU Concept on Strengthening African Capabilities
for the Prevention, Management and Resolution of Conflicts. The
Concept highlights three broad priorities: improving coherence
within the EU, strengthening the EU's partnership with the African
Union and the Regional Economic Communities and developing policies
for reinforcement of African capabilities. Implementation is now
beginning and is likely to include among other things: EU capacity-building
support to African Standby Force continental and regional structures
(Planning elements and Brigade Headquarters); as well as building
the African Union capacity on planning, operational and financial
management; support to African regional training centres; EU exercising
support (through the "Europeanisation" of the French
RECAMP initiative).
"The African Union has continued to make steady
progress (from a standing start) in developing the African Standby
Force in line with their vision of a fully operational five-brigade
structure by 2010. The UK continues to provide substantial training
and capacity building support: to individual African Standby Force
contributors and the Regional Economic Communities. UK training
(around £14 million in FY 2007/8) is carried out through
UK military training teams in West, East and Southern Africa,
through African training centres (such as the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping
Training Centre in Ghana) and in the UK. It is increasingly focussed
on African Standby Force needs. The UK also provides institutional
support to the Regional Economic Communities.
"In February 2007, the Political and Security
Committee requested the General Secretariat of the Council and
the Commission to take work forward on creating an EU representation
to the African Union. The representation will in particular support
the EU/African Union partnership, including on strengthening the
African Union's crisis management capabilities.
"An EU-Africa Summit is scheduled to take place
in Lisbon in December 2007. In advance there have been discussions
within the EU, as well as with the African Union to prepare a
joint EU/Africa strategy. In May 2007, the EU-Africa ministerial
troika endorsed the outline for this joint strategy that will
include security aspects.
AFRICA
PEACE FACILITY (APF)
"The Africa Peace Facility is a €250 million
EU fund designed to provide support to African peace support operations
and to build African capacity. The EU has recently replenished
in the short term the Facility with €50 million. This has
been done in response to an African Union request to provide increased
funding for African Peace Support Operations. The EU will continue
the Africa Peace Facility under the next financial framework,
and will increase funding to €300 million from 2008 to 2010.
Much of the funding has been used for the African Union mission
in Darfur (AMIS).
"The Africa Peace Facility is also supporting
AMISOM in Somalia. Africa-led missions in the Comoros islands
and in the Central African Republic are also being supported".
The Minister's letter
13.12 The Minister also writes, in his letter of
11 June, to alert us to the fact that the European Council will
also be dealing with follow-up from the October 2005 informal
Hampton Court meeting of EU Heads of State and Government, under
the UK Presidency, which asked the Secretary General/High Representative,
Javier Solana, to take forward work on crisis management —
"ensuring that the EU's crisis management structures can
meet new demands on them, and that the EU can finance civilian
operations rapidly".
ENSURING THE EU'S CRISIS MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES CAN
MEET NEW DEMANDS ON THEM
"New Guidelines for the Command and Control
Structure for EU Civilian Operations in Crisis Management are
due to be approved at the June General Affairs and External Relations
Council. It is a Restricted document but I want to explain in
detail the benefits this reform will bring. First and foremost,
the reform means there will be a single and identifiable chain
of command, which is imperative for the safe and efficient conduct
of missions. Moreover by making the civilian command structure
more comparable with the military levels of command, the reform
will facilitate civil and military co-ordination, mutual support
and coherence where required.
"The reform introduces a Civilian Operations
Commander, supported by a team known as the Civilian Planning
and Conduct Capability that he will lead. Future Joint Actions
will put the Civilian Operations Commander in the command chain
above the Head of Mission for a civilian mission, enabling him
to support and advise the Head of Mission. The Civilian Operations
Commander will also take overall responsibility for ensuring that
the EU's duty of care is properly discharged. He will report through
the Secretary General/High Representative to the Council.
"The reform clarifies the role of EU Special
Representatives in relation to civilian ESDP missions. They will
provide local political guidance to Heads of civilian ESDP missions.
EU Special Representatives and the Civilian Operations Commander
will consult each other as required. EU Special Representatives
will not be in the chain of command of civilian ESDP missions.
They will promote overall EU political co-ordination and help
ensure that all EU instruments in theatre act coherently to attain
the political objectives set out by the Council.
"In accordance with its Terms of Reference,
the EU Military Staff, through the Civilian Military Cell, will
assist with planning support (including the planning for a possible
use of military means) and conduct of ESDP missions. The Civilian
Military Cell will provide a watch-keeping capability in order
to ensure round-the-clock links with the various civilian ESDP
operations and the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability. The
watch-keeping capability will be established within the Operations
Centre. Activation of the watch-keeping capability using the facilities
of the Operations Centre in relation to each civilian operation
will be confirmed in the respective Joint Action.
"Javier Solana is currently working on the implementation
of this reform and has not yet found a suitable candidate to be
Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability and hence
Civilian Operations Commander. The initial appointment will be
for one year. Subsequent appointments will be made by the Council
at the level of Deputy Director-General or higher for a fixed
term to ensure periodic rotation.
"The Joint Actions for civilian ESDP missions
and several EU Special Representatives that are currently in place
will need to be amended. The changes will insert the Civilian
Operations Commander into the chain of command, activate the watch-keeping
capability and update the role of those EU Special Representatives
who currently have a place in the command chain of a civilian
ESDP mission. The Presidency plan to make the same amendment to
each individual Joint Action, based on language drawn from the
new Guidelines, but have not yet proposed a timetable. My officials
will be in touch with the Clerks to agree how to handle this".
ENSURING THE EU CAN FINANCE CIVILIAN MISSIONS RAPIDLY
The Minister says that lack of rapidly available
financing has been identified as a problem for the operational
capacity of civilian crisis management operations in the start-up
phase, and was a particular problem during the UK Presidency for
the rapid launches of the missions monitoring political developments
in Aceh, Indonesia (where the EU collaborated, for the first time,
with several ASEAN nations) and the Rafah border crossing between
the Gaza Strip and Egypt. He explains that the steps taken include:
i) the Commission accelerating its internal procedures
for launching and concluding Financing Decisions;
ii) the Commission and Secretariat introducing
Framework Contracts for procurement;
iii) amendment of the EC Budget Financial Regulation
to enable funding of the preparation of ESDP missions;
iv) development of a procedure for funding the
preparation of ESDP missions; and
v) the Commission putting in place a Framework
Financing Decision for funding the preparation of ESDP missions.
The Commission has now given civilian ESDP missions
the same priority as humanitarian aid decisions in their Inter
Services Consultations, which now start as soon as the Political
and Security Committee endorses the legal act. The Commission
and Secretariat have drawn on the experience of other international
organisations to develop Framework Contracts, which will be used
for the first time in order to speed up procurement for the Kosovo
planning and Afghanistan missions. Revision of the EC Budget Financial
Regulation now enables "in principle" funding to be
available within 5 days of a decision by the Political and Security
Committee to launch a preparatory measure, meaning that assessments
of the operational requirements for a possible civilian ESDP mission
can now be funded, as can rapid initial civilian deployments and
teams to establish the conditions on the ground for launching
a civilian ESDP mission. Funding for the mission itself will continue
to be authorised by a Joint Action. Each year the Commission will
adopt a Framework Financing Decision for funding the preparation
of ESDP missions. For 2007, they have allocated a maximum of €4.9
million euro from the CFSP budget; the maximum that can be spent
on a preparatory measure without a Joint Action is €1.4 million:
"Taken together these developments represent
a step forward in the development of civilian ESDP missions. They
should have a particular benefit for personnel serving in civilian
ESDP missions in that the start-up of rapidly deployed missions
will be better funded and the Civilian Operations Commander has
a clear overall responsibility for ensuring that the EU's duty
of care is properly discharged. Moreover the reformed civilian
command chain should make it easier for Member States to use the
civilian and military instruments for crisis management and conflict
prevention coherently".
Finally, the Minister says that he will continue
to ensure that we are alerted to preparations for ESDP activity
"at an early opportunity".
Conclusion
13.13 In our previous such Report (and in its
predecessor),[33]
we recalled that, at the same informal Hampton Court meeting,
the Secretary General/High Representative had noted that most
of the increase in the CFSP budget was already earmarked; that
additional funding was likely to be required (without including
a possible operation in Kosovo); and that there was general agreement
at the meeting on the need for a substantial increase in funds
to cover the common costs of EU crisis management operations and
other CFSP measures, with the figure of €300 million per
annum suggested by one head of government receiving widespread
support — a figure which he said was, given the Union's
ambitions and capacities, not unreasonable.[34]
The disparity between this figure and those on the table raised
the question of how realistic the Union's ESDP ambitions were,
so we asked for Explanatory Memoranda on future Presidency ESDP
Reports to explain and assesses the financial context of both
current and prospective activity.
13.14 We deal with this same issue elsewhere in
this Report, in connection with the annual report from the Council
to the European Parliament on CFSP, where the Minister makes some
general comments about the overall CFSP budget.[35]
He also says that Explanatory Memoranda covering future CFSP Annual
Reports will include an explanation and assessment of the financial
context of both current and prospective activity, agreeing with
us that this would provide a useful opportunity for him to update
Parliament on the financing of activity in this area. In that
case, we think that it would be otiose for him to provide a similar
assessment every six months in connection with the Presidency
report to the Council, though we should be grateful if he were
to continue to include details of any specific changes of the
type that he has covered in his present, helpful and informative
letter.
13.15 We now clear the document.
32 Set out in the Annex. Back
33
See headnote. Back
34
http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/reports/87644.pdf Back
35
See para 11 of this Report. Back
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