Memorandum by Mr Jim Murphy MP, the then
Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
EUROPEAN SECURITY
STRATEGY
I am writing in response to Lord Roper's letter
of 23 April, asking me to set out the Government's views of the
European Security Strategy in the light of your Committee's inquiry.
Lord Roper asked in particular for our views on the strengths
and weaknesses of the Strategy, whether we will be seeking to
include additional threats and risks into the revised strategy,
and to what extent our position is shared by other EU Member States
and the Commission.
The European Council's tasking of the European
Security Strategy to the High Representative/Secretary General
in 2007 was two-fold, namely reviewing implementation since 2003
and setting out priorities for the future:
"The European Security Strategy adopted
in 2003 has proved very useful. It provides the Union with the
relevant framework for its external policy. In the light of all
evolutions which have taken place since, in particular the experiences
drawn from ESDP missions, the European Council invites the SG/HR,
in full association with the Commission and in close co-operation
with the Member States, to examine the implementation of the Strategy
with a view to proposing elements on how to improve the implementation
and, as appropriate, elements to complement it, for adoption by
the European Council in December 2008".
The Government's view of the European Security
Strategy, shared by other Member States and reflected in the European
Council Conclusions above, is that its basic analysis remains
valid, and that it serves as a valuable high-level policy framework,
against which EU action can be measured and developed. But we
agree that this is the right moment to review implementation and
identify elements for further development, in the light of experience
since the Strategy was agreed in 2003. The Government's views
on these elements are set out below.
Javier Solana is currently in the first phase
of this work, reviewing implementation. He will make an oral report
to the June European Council, when Member States will also discuss
progress. The second phase of the work will be conducted in the
second half of the year and completed for the December European
Council. In line with the tasking, the Council will approve elements
to improve implementation and complement the Strategy. These may
be put into a declaration that would effectively form a preface
to the Strategy.
The European Security Strategy identifies terrorism,
proliferation, regional conflicts, state failure and organised
crime as the major threats to Europe's security. It sets three
objectives for EU action—addressing those threats, building
neighbourhood security and developing effective multilateralism.
Its conclusion is that Europe needs to be more active, more coherent,
more capable and work with others to make a contribution matching
its potential.
The Government's objective for the European
Security Strategy review is to encourage greater EU impact on
the key external security issues identified in the Global Europe
agenda, set out by the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister last
October: tackling climate change and energy security, tackling
global poverty and development, promoting security and stability
in neighbouring countries and beyond, and tackling terrorism and
organised crime.
Although the European Security Strategy makes
reference to the impact of climate change, energy security, poverty
and development on security, these issues are not given sufficient
prominence. The Government's view is that the review of the implementation
of the European Security Strategy should develop the Strategy's
treatment of these, including through taking into account the
security dimension of climate change. This should be informed
by the work already in hand to take forward the joint report by
the High Representative and the Commission on "Climate Change
and International Security" to the Spring European Council,
about which I wrote on 23 April. The High Representative has been
tasked to submit recommendations on appropriate follow-up action
by December 2008 in consultation with Member States. We are working
to ensure that the report leads to concrete EU action, including
regional studies and deeper analysis of climate and security issues.
The Government believes that the European Security Strategy review
should also take into account the Spring European Council's agreement
to develop a common approach to external energy policy, including
energy security issues.
The Government believes that the review should
also acknowledge more fully the link between development and security,
and underline in this context the importance of the Millennium
Development Goals. The Government fully supports the Commission's
proposal for agreement at the June European Council on an Agenda
for Action for the Millennium Development Goals.
The EU now contributes over 55% of total global
aid flows and has a real responsibility to take a lead role in
reinvigorating efforts on the Millennium Development Goals and
set out what it is doing to accelerate progress.
In addition to highlighting the development
of the European Security Strategy's analysis of threats and risks,
the Government sees the review as an opportunity to improve the
EU's impact in conflict-affected countries by setting out clear
priorities for EU work on stabilisation. This would capture developments
since the Strategy was written in 2003, including progress in
civil-military co-ordination and capability development, the implementation
of the Stability Instrument, the European Consensus on Development
and the November 2007 Conclusions on Security and Development
and Situations of Fragility. Key stabilisation issues include
the use of expeditionary military and civilian capability development,
co-ordinated planning to achieve coherent effect, building African
Union capabilities, and close co-operation with the United Nations,
NATO and the African Union.
The European Security Strategy rightly prioritised
countering terrorism and proliferation. Both of these areas have
since been taken forward through work to implement the 2004 EU
Council Declaration on Combating Terrorism and the 2003 EU Strategy
against Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Government
wants to use the European Security Strategy review to highlight
priorities for future action in combating terrorism and proliferation.
On terrorism, this includes recognising that what happens outside
the EU has a direct effect within communities in Member States
and vice versa. This points to: tackling radicalisation and extremism,
both within the EU and in third countries; helping third countries
to build their own counter terrorism capabilities; and strengthening
action against terrorist financing.
On proliferation, this is an opportunity to
update the perception of threats, including regions of concern
and terrorists' use of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear
materials, and to highlight emerging issues, such as the proliferation
risks of the potential renaissance of civil nuclear technology.
It should reflect EU priorities for the 2010 Review Conference
of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons.
Finally, the Government will want to ensure
that the European Security Strategy review emphasises the importance
of close EU-NATO co-operation. The UK National Security Strategy
underlines the importance of a strong EU and NATO to both European
and regional security, complementing the contribution of global
institutions, and is clear that the Government supports the development
of both institutions and close co-operation between them. It will
be important that the review reinforces the importance of closer
EU-NATO co-operation, building on the European Security Strategy's
conclusion that the transatlantic relationship is irreplaceable.
The detailed views held by other Member States
and the Commission of the review of the European Security Strategy
are not yet clear. The Government will discuss the review with
other Member States at the June Council following Javier Solana's
report. At this point we will write again to update the Committees.
During the French Presidency we will then work closely with Partners
to ensure that the priorities for future action identified above
are highlighted in the review.
26 May 2008
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