THE EUROPEAN – SECURITY AND DEFENCE UNION
Security and Defence In the defence sector, the EU has in reality not more than a declaratory role. There is some hope, but nowhere real progress. Roberto Gualtieri MEP............................................. 24 Françoise Hostalier MP/ Jean-Pierre Kucheida MP ...... 27 Claude-France Arnould............................................ 29 Olivier Jehin.......................................................... 32 Dr. Rainer Martens.................................................. 32
Patrick Bellouard.............................................. 34 Murad Bayar..................................................... 37 Antoine Bouvier ............................................... 39 Joseph A. Ghattas............................................ 42 Hans H. Kühl ................................................... 44
EU Security and Defence urgently needs new impetus. Can the comprehensive approach save CSDP?
The CSDP and its developments after Lisbon by Roberto Gualtieri MEP, Brussels/Strasbourg The European Parliament (EP) adopted, with the support of all of the pro-European political groups (EPP, S&D, ELDR, Greens), the “Report on the development of the common security and defence policy following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty”. The Report is an important contribution to the debate on the future of the CSDP, containing not only concrete proposals on different aspects of CSDP, but also offering a broader view of the EU’s problems and opportunities as a global security actor. It also offers a strategic partnership between the EP, the EU institutions and other stakeholders with the goal of a consistent and coherent security and defence policy embedded in the EU external and internal action.
The Leitmotiv: A comprehensive approach The Leitmotiv of the Report is the comprehensive approach to crisis management and conflict prevention. This approach is, on one hand, required by the transformations in the international system and the emergence of a multi-dimensional and trans-national concept of security. On the other hand, it is
Roberto Gualtieri MEP He is the Social and Democrats coordinator for the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Security and Defence. His political career began in 2001 as Member of the Rome Secretariat of the Democratici di Sinistra and is currently a Member of the National Direction of the Democratic Party. In addition to his work as the Deputy Director of the Gramsci Foundation, he is also the Director (with José Luis Rhi-Sausi) of the “Annual Report on European Integration” (Il Mulino Editor). Mr. Gualtieri is an author of various books on Italian and international history of the 20th century and a contributor of many articles to newspapers and magazines. He holds a degree in Literature and Philosophy, as well as a PhD in Contemporary History.
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made possible by the new provisions of the Lisbon Treaty and the establishment of the European External Action Service. The Report underlines how the Lisbon Treaty (with the new role of the HR/VP, the end of the pillar structure and the placement of the CFSP/CSDP within the legally binding institutional framework of EU principles) encourages convergence of different policies, instruments and legal bases within a comprehensive approach. This contributes to peace and security becoming a cross-cutting objective of EU external and internal action. We are starting to have some initial examples of such a new comprehensive and flexible approach to framing CFSP and fully harnessing CSDP assets toward the service of EU external action. This new approach has overcome traditional procedural and institutional barriers, while at the same time fully respecting the prerogatives of the different institutions. A good example has been the EU Military Staff’s coordination of military capabilities in support of civilian-led humanitarian relief operations during the 2010 Pakistan floods. Yet there is still much to be done. The Report expresses concern for the inadequate speed of development in this process. The main obstacle is, of course, political and is linked to the attitude of the Member States towards CFSP and CSDP. The unwillingness of the EU Member States to define a common position on the Libyan crisis is definitely a bad signal. It is worth noting that the Parliament clearly states in the Report that ad hoc coalitions of the willing and bilateral cooperation cannot be considered as viable substitutes for CSDP. This is because today no single European State has the capacity to be a significant security and defence actor.
Lack of mutual trust can be fatal That is why the Report calls on the Member States to improve internal cohesion and mutual trust in the area of foreign and defence policy. It also urges the European Council to draw up,
