FOREWORD—What this
Report is about
The EU's 2003 European Security Strategy (ESS) was
a milestone document representing the collective thinking of the
EU Member States on the challenges and security threats facing
them at the beginning of the 21st century. Our report aims to
contribute to the review of the ESS currently underway in the
EU which will be discussed at the December 2008 European Council.
We assess the Strategy and its implementation, and the changes
in the international security environment since 2003, and we make
a number of recommendations. We do not, however, set out to evaluate
every event or trend, or all the security challenges which were
dealt with in the original strategy.
We believe that the 2003 Strategy was a good, concise
document and that any revision should not be significantly longer.
It should, however, include references to areas where there have
been significant changes since 2003: climate change (where the
UK and the EU should play a leading role); the links between security
and development (where action should include achieving human security,
preventing and resolving conflicts, and tackling the root causes
of conflict and radicalisation in developing countries); energy
security; the concept of responsibility to protect (which should
be put into operation); and multilateral nuclear disarmament.
We consider that implementation, a key area, could be covered
in a separate document.
Given the importance of Europe's security, we encourage
the European Council, Commission and Member States to make greater
use of the Strategy as a point of reference and to attempt to
increase public interest in the Strategy. We point to the importance
for Europe's security of the EU's enlargement process and its
Neighbourhood Policy and the need to work with partners as part
of effective multilateralism. In particular, events in Georgia
have brought the relationship with Russia into focus and emphasised
the challenge which Russia presents both as a partner and a source
of risk and instability.
We conclude that implementation of the Security Strategy
is a key area on which the EU should focus its efforts; action
plans or sub-strategies could take implementation forward. We
express concern that, despite improvements, the EU still suffers
from major shortfalls in the provision of military and civilian
capabilities by its Member States, and needs greater resources
if its capacity to take on new crisis management operations abroad
is not to reach its limit. We also believe that coordination between
the EU's external and internal security policies should be strengthened.
Finally, we say that the question of coherence in
the EU's institutions and policies will need to be addressed seriously
with or without the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty if the
effectiveness of the EU's actions in the security field is not
to fall far short of its aspirations.
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