HANDBOOK ON CSDP
4.2. COUNTER-TERRORISM AND THE CSDP
European Union/EUCAP SAHEL Niger
by Birgit Löser
CSDP is perfectly suited to helping countries' authorities cope with growing threats that are ultimately linked to our own EU internal security, including migration issues (same root causes).
Since 2001 civilian CSDP missions have been developing as important tools of the EU common foreign and security policy, operating with post-conflict and conflict-prevention mandates in a variety of countries and regions abroad. Whilst these missions are generally well documented and analysed, there is one angle few have considered to date, which is the link with the EU’s counter-terrorism (CT) efforts that have also been an important part of the EU’s external and security policy dimension. It appears that, even within the EU institutions, there has been little if any interaction between the relevant bodies, which is striking given the similarities in aims, objectives, and geographical priorities; nor has there been any coordination between respective approaches, despite the great potential for synergies. This article seeks to analyse these similarities in greater detail, with a view to making the case for more interaction and coordination between the
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two EU external policy instruments, which would enhance the much sought-after ‘comprehensive’, or ‘integrated’, approach that the newly adopted EU Global Strategy advocates. The article also argues in favour of much stronger investment in CSDP, specifically with a view to addressing more systematically the CT requirements in third countries when there is a link to Europe’s security.
SIMILARITIES The first similarity is the shared objective of enhancing the rule of law: civilian CSDP missions with a capacity-building mandate usually focus on mentoring, monitoring, advising and training for the host country’s police and judiciary. They help countries with weak law-enforcement institutions to adapt their national legislation,
