Paris, 23 September 2008 – More than 75 members of the Assembly met on 22 September with the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Henri BENTEGEAT, who underlined that the Assembly’s support was “vital” for developing an ESDP that involved and was supported by all 27 EU nations.

He noted that the European Union now had the capabilities to intervene, including militarily, when its interests and values were threatened by a crisis, as could be seen from the 20 missions it had launched over a period of five years, including five military operations. The Union structures employed 30 000 civilian staff, but only 200 military personnel. “One can hardly expect an exceptional performance from an instrument tailored to the minimum size”, he warned.

Decision-making structures could be further improved upon but nonetheless functioned well, while the procedures for the command of operations remained complex and unwieldy. It was important for the EU to have the capacity to mobilise its civilian and military instruments “simultaneously and in a coordinated fashion”, for this constituted a “major asset” which gave the EU “a clear advantage” over other international organisations.

Most of the progress made over the last six months had been in the area of capabilities, he explained. The Capability Development Plan being implemented by the European Defence Agency (EDA) in cooperation with the EU Military Committee had led to the definition in July 2008 of 12 priority actions with a view to reducing and plugging capability gaps. The Battlegroup 1500 concept had been supplemented with rapid reaction concepts in the air and maritime spheres, and at the same time the rapid reaction planning and decision-making process had been revised.

Taking stock of ongoing military operations and their future prospects, the General explained that EUFOR Chad/CAR (3 400-strong, 18 contributing countries) had arrived at mid-mandate and was meeting the objectives fixed for it. At the end of its mandate on 15 March 2009 it would be replaced by a United Nations force, the principle of which was soon to be agreed by the UN Security Council. The EU was shortly to take a decision on the future of Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With regard to the fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia, the EU Coordination Cell was up and running. NATO was also looking into the possibility of an engagement.

Questions from the members of the Assembly concerned, in particular, the equipment needed for the effective conduct of the EUFOR Chad/CAR operation (René ROUQUET, France) and the difficulties encountered by member states in providing the European force with helicopters for strategic lift (Doug HENDERSON, United Kingdom). Robert WALTER (United Kingdom) enquired about the possibilities for EU-NATO cooperation in the fight against piracy off the Somali coast. Other questions related to the ways and means of coordinating European efforts in the field of missile defence (Edward O’HARA, United Kingdom), the updating of the European Security Strategy (Daniel DUCARME, Belgium), cyber defence (Tarmo KOUTS, Estonia), parliamentary scrutiny of the ESDP (Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain) and police training in Afghanistan (Gerd HÖFER, Germany).

Responding to the numerous specific points that had been raised, General BENTEGEAT explained that there was currently no NATO force in Somalia. Combined Task Force (CTF) 150* had been set up at the US initiative in the framework of Operation Enduring Freedom and covered only part of the Gulf of Aden, whereas Somalia had 3 000 km of coastline to monitor. EU and NATO action could be complementary. The issue was not one of duplication between the two organisations: NATO employed some 12 000 military personnel, the EU only 200. There had been several places (Lebanon, Chad and Georgia, for example), in which the Atlantic Alliance had been unable to intervene for strictly political reasons. Moreover, things had changed at the military level: the two organisations remained in permanent contact and were thus able to avoid any competition, for example in Somalia. Missile defence was a matter of collective defence, which was the responsibility of the Atlantic Alliance: the ESDP was concerned with crisis management. Work was well advanced on the European Security Strategy (ESS) and the additions to it would be substantive and useful. The European Commission was in charge of the work being done in the area of defence against cyber attacks, which were aimed essentially at government institutions and private entities. Finally, while the uncertainties hanging over the Lisbon Treaty had a “negative impact” on progress in the area of ESDP, they had not succeeded in “slowing its momentum”.

* Since its inception, it has been commanded in particular by Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Pakistan and United Kingdom. Danish Royal Navy Commodore Per Bigum Christensen currently commands CTF 150.