Summary: EU Presidency Report on EU Security and Defense Policy(16 December 2005: Brussels)
EU PRESIDENCY REPORT ON ESDP, approved by the European Council, Brussels, 16 December 2005.
1. In line with the mandate defined by the European Council in June 2005, the Presidency hereby submits this report on ESDP.
2. In presenting this report, the Presidency has noted that Denmark has drawn attention to Protocol No 5 on the position of Denmark, which is annexed to the Amsterdam Treaty.
I. EU Civilian and Military Operational Activity
3. Under the UK Presidency ESDP operational activity has continued to expand, particularly in the civilian field. The EU is now undertaking a wide range of civilian and military missions, on three continents, with tasks ranging from peacekeeping and monitoring implementation of a peace process to advice and assistance in military, police, border monitoring and rule of law sectors. Further missions are under active preparation.
4. This rapid increase in the EU's level of activity in the field of civilian crisis-management has highlighted the need for an increase in the CFSP budget and the need to address the issue of financing civilian operations rapidly.
5. The EU force deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the framework of the UN-authorized ALTHEA military operation has continued to guarantee a safe and secure environment in the country and enjoys the confidence of the local population and authorities. In addition to its primary mission of providing deterrence, reassurance and a safe and secure environment, the force has also provided assistance to the fight against organised crime and capacity building for local authorities and law
enforcement agencies, and support to the Mission Implementation Plan of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) as well as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Co-ordination between the force's activities and the activities of other EU players in Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to be ensured largely by the EU Special Representative, thereby strengthening the EU's co-ordination and internal cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Co-operation with NATO continues
to be good, including on the ground.
6. The Council reviewed operation ALTHEA on completion of its successful first year, on the basis of the SG/HR's report. This report confirms that a continuing EU military presence remains essential for the maintenance of a safe and secure environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina; that force levels should remain broadly unchanged for the coming year; and that decisions on the future size and structure of the force should be based on an assessment of conditions on the ground. Sustained progress
within the Stabilisation and Association process, and an assessment of the impact of elections in 2006, will allow Ministers then to consider options for the future presence of the force in BiH.
7. The EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUPM) has continued to work towards establishing sustainable policing arrangements under Bosnian ownership, through monitoring mentoring and inspecting. In the course of its three year mandate, EUPM has made a substantial contribution to this process. Notable achievements include the transformation of the State Investigations and Protection Agency into an operational police agency with enhanced powers to fight major and organised crime;
development of other state level institutions such as the Ministry of Security and the State Border Service; and progress towards police reform under clear local ownership.
8. In light of the end of EUPM's mandate on 31 December 2005 the EU reviewed the mission. The EU commended EUPM on its achievements but considered that continued engagement would be needed. The EU therefore decided on 21 November to put in place a follow-on mission to EUPM. Under the guidance and co-ordination of the EUSR and as part of the broader rule of law approach in BiH and in the region, the follow-on mission will mentor, monitor and inspect BiH police with the aim of establishing a
sustainable, professional and multiethnic police service operating in accordance with best European and international standards. The mission will start on 1 January 2006 and have a two-year mandate with reviews every six months. The tasks of the mission will be refocused on the fight against organised crime, through strengthening BiH operational capacity and assisting in the planning and conducting of major and organised crime investigations, and the implementation of police reform, which will
create a single structure of policing, improve law enforcement co-operation and reduce corruption and waste. EUPM, EUFOR and the EUSR will strengthen their co-ordination in line with agreed principles, under the overall political direction of the EUSR.
9. The EU Police Mission in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (EUPOL PROXIMA) has continued monitoring and mentoring of police on priority issues including Border Police, Public Peace and Order and Accountability and the fight against corruption and Organised Crime. Assistance given by the mission has contributed to progress in areas such as: improved cooperation between the police and judicial authorities (Law Enforcement Monitors); the introduction of an Integrated Border
Management strategy; the creation of additional internal control mechanisms; enhanced regional and international cooperation; improved public perception in the police; and the fight against criminal groups.
10. The EU reviewed the mission in light of this progress, the improved security situation, and steps towards implementing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. The EU decided that the mission had successfully completed its mandate and should close as planned on 15 December 2005. EU assistance to FYROM policing will continue through Community activities and programmes, including a project focusing on implementation of police reform at field level. To ensure a smooth transition between
the end of EUPOL PROXIMA and the start of the EC field level project, the EU decided to establish a team of up to 30 EU police advisors to provide further support to the development of an efficient and professional police service based on European standards of policing from 15 December 2005 for a period of 6 months.
11. The EU Police Mission in Kinshasa (EUPOL Kinshasa) has continued to implement its mandate to monitor, mentor and advise on the setting up and initial running of the Integrated Police Unit in Kinshasa. EUPOL KINSHASA has successfully interacted with the IPU, helping it become a highly-regarded unit contributing significantly to the protection of the Transitional Government. The EU reviewed the mission and, in light of the re-scheduling of the Presidential elections in the Democratic
Republic of Congo to June 2006 at the latest, decided to extend EUPOL Kinshasa's mandate until 31 December 2006. The mission will provide a greater presence of EUPOL monitors alongside IPU units or patrols operational on the ground; more extensive advice to the chain of command of the IPU regarding the execution of missions; increased mentoring and advising on other issues complementary to the effective conduct of policing in DRC; enhanced co-ordination with local partners, both national and
international and; more extensive liaison with EUSEC RD CONGO in the field of security sector reform. This will allow the EU to continue its support during the critical election period and enable the IPU to consolidate its vital role and complete its integration with the Congolese National Police.
12. The ESDP mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the DRC, EUSEC/RD Congo, has continued to work closely with the DRC authorities, with the aim of contributing to the successful integration of the Congolese army. It has also provided valuable information on the situation on the ground, and played a key role in the co-ordination of the efforts of the international community to support DRC army reform. It has highlighted the most pressing needs - notably
reform of the army pay systems - and recommended donor and DRC government actions. In November, it was agreed that a new technical assistance programme (Chain of Payments Project), under the authority of the Head of Mission/EUSEC RD Congo, would focus on improvements in the financial administration of the DRC Ministry of Defence, by contributing to the regularisation of the payments of salaries for the military, with a view to their possible revaluation by the DRC authorities. The project will
support reform of the central pay structures with a team of experts based in Kinshasa and also seek to ensure that, through the attachment of temporary advisors to the newly integrated brigades, reforms are implemented at brigade level so that salaries duly reach the soldiers on the ground.
13. On 1 July 2005 the EU launched the operational phase of the EU Integrated Rule of Law mission for Iraq (EUJUST LEX). By the end of 2005 the mission has trained nearly 300 high- and middle-ranking Iraqi officials from across the criminal justice system in senior management and management of investigations. It is making good progress towards its overall target of training more than 700 Rule of Law professionals. This training is promoting closer co-operation between the different
players in the Iraqi Rule of Law sector, strengthening management capability and improving skills and procedures in criminal investigation in the context of full respect for the rule of law and human rights. The first review of EUJUST Lex highlighted the successful completion of four months of operations. Initial feedback on the courses has been positive and many lessons have been learned; these will inform further developments within the mission.
14. Following a peace agreement between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki on 15 August 2005, facilitated by the Crisis Management Initiative, chaired by President Ahtisaari and financially supported by the European Community, the EU launched a monitoring mission to Aceh to monitor the compliance of the parties to their commitments under the agreement. An Initial Monitoring Presence was put in place on 15 August and the Aceh Monitoring Mission
(AMM) became operational on 15 September with a mandate lasting six months. AMM is a 240-strong joint mission led by the EU with five ASEAN countries, Norway and Switzerland. It is the first ESDP mission to take place in Asia. In its first months, AMM has ensured that the parties are meeting their targets for the decommissioning and destruction of GAM weapons and the relocation of non-organic units of the Indonesian security forces. Good progress is being made towards completing these
processes by 31 December 2005. Close liaison and good co-operation with the parties has been established and maintained through the Committee on Security Arrangements. AMM has also been monitoring the demobilisation and reintegration of GAM members and the human rights situation. AMM is co-ordinating closely with other EU activities including the EC programme on reintegration of former GAM combatants and political prisoners.
15. Following agreement between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the opening of the Rafah Border Crossing Point and the invitation to the EU to provide a third party presence, the EU agreed on 21 November to launch a Border Assistance Mission at Rafah (EU BAM Rafah), with an initial duration of one year, in co-operation with the European Community's institution capacity-building efforts for the Palestinian Authority border-management system. EU Member States, the
EUSR, the Council Secretariat and the European Commission have worked together to set up the mission rapidly. The rapid launch of EUBAM Rafah enabled the border-crossing to open on 25 November 2005. EUBAM Rafah will actively monitor, verify and evaluate Palestinian performance; build up Palestinian capacity in all aspects of border management at Rafah; and contribute to liaison between the Palestinian, Israeli and Egyptian authorities on management of the Rafah Border-crossing. EU BAM Rafah
will liaise with EUPOL COPPS as regards the role and presence of Palestinian civil police at the Rafah crossing-point and the support provided by the Palestinian civil police to the security of EU BAM Rafah and its personnel.
16. The EU agreed at the 7 November GAERC to establish an EU Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS) building on the work of the EU Coordination Office for Palestinian Policing Support (EU COPPS). EUPOL COPPS will launch on 1 January 2006. It aims to support the Palestinian Authority in establishing sustainable and effective policing arrangements. EUPOL COPPS will have a three-year mandate to assist in the implementation of the Palestinian Civil Police Development
Plan, advise and mentor senior members of the Palestinian Civil Police and criminal justice system, and co-ordinate EU and where requested, international assistance to the Palestinian civil police. EUPOL COPPS will liaise with EU BAM Rafah. It will also act in co-operation with the European Community's institution-building programmes as well as other international efforts in the security sector including criminal justice reform.
17. The EU Rule of Law Mission in Georgia (EUJUST THEMIS) successfully completed its mandate on 15 July 2005 with agreement by the Georgian authorities to a criminal justice reform strategy. In order to aid the full implementation of the strategy, the EU decided on 18 July 2005 to strengthen the EU Special Representative's team for a six-month period to assist the Georgian authorities with implementation of the Criminal Justice Reform Action Plan and to ensure continuity with further
support provided through European Community programmes.
18. The EU also agreed to reinforce the EUSR for the Southern Caucasus with a team to provide support and advice on the reform of the Georgian Border Guard, mentoring of the Guard Force in the field and continued assessment of the Georgian border situation. This team started its operations on 1 September, and aims to lay the ground for further EU action in support of the reform of the Georgian Border Guard.
19. As part of the EU civilian-military supporting action to the African Union mission (AMIS II) in the Darfur region of Sudan, the EU launched in September 2005 a civilian policing contribution to AMIS II. This contribution plays a key role in building AMIS's civilian policing capacity, through support to the AMIS II chain of command, pre-deployment training and training courses for trainers. The EU is also supporting the development of the African Union policing capacity through
assistance in establishing a police unit within the AU Secretariat in Addis Ababa.
20. The EU has also provided increased military assistance to AMIS in terms of planning and management support, funding, and logistics. This includes provision of: equipment and assets, planning and technical assistance to all AMIS II levels of command, additional military observers, training for African troops and observers forming part of AMIS II enhancement, and strategic and tactical air transport. The EU also supported the development and execution of the UN-led MAPEX exercise in August
2005.
21. The EU has decided to continue both civilian and military elements of the supporting action to AMIS II for a further six-month period.
22. The EU has maintained close and effective co-ordination with institutional and bilateral donors and worked closely and effectively with the UN, as well as with NATO regarding military support in-theatre, including through a joint cell in Addis Ababa. The EU Special Representative for Sudan has been appointed, in order to co-ordinate the EU's support to the African Union mission in Darfur amongst other responsibilities.
23. Following a request from Presidents Voronin and Yuschenko, the EU agreed to launch a Border Assistance Mission on the Moldova/Ukraine border, including the Transnistrian segment (EU BAM Moldova/Ukraine), consisting of a field mission, managed by the Commission, with Member-State seconded experts. EU BAM Moldova/Ukraine will be accompanied by a reinforced office of the EUSR assuring political overview of developments on border issues. These arrangements are an exceptional case and do
not constitute a precedent. This mission launched on 30 November and is co-operating closely with the Moldovan and Ukrainian authorities in order to contribute to the fight against weapons trafficking, smuggling, organised crime and corruption.
II. Development of European military capabilities
24. Work towards Headline Goal 2010 has continued with the finalisation of Requirements Catalogue 05. This identifies the military capabilities and force requirements needed for the EU to fulfil the tasks stemming from the Treaty of the European Union (Art. 17.2) and the European Security Strategy and for the objectives set out in the Headline Goal 2010. The remaining requirements from the Helsinki Headline Goal are included in this catalogue. The strategic planning assumptions and illustrative
scenarios used in the Catalogue formed the basis for the further development of military requirements and subsequently of military capabilities. The work leading to the production of RC05 has been validated by computer-assisted operational analysis. This catalogue represented an improved level of refinement over the previous Requirements Catalogue.
25. The Requirements Catalogue 05 focuses on developing the qualitative approach to capability planning called for by the Headline Goal 2010. It puts renewed emphasis on rapidly deployable, highly interoperable armed forces that can be sustained as necessary over long periods on operations through rotation of forces and provision of the requisite enabling, support and logistic elements. The Catalogue takes account of the EU's ambition to be able to run concurrent operations thus sustaining
several operations simultaneously at different levels of engagement.
26. The Headline Goal Questionnaire has been elaborated. The EU has completed the adaptation of NATO-originated software to EU requirements. This enables those Member States concerned to provide information to both organisations in the most efficient way.
27. On the basis of the Requirements Catalogue 05 Member States will be invited to make their commitments using the Headline Goal Questionnaire. Those commitments, once collated and analysed, will allow the outstanding capability gaps to be identified and addressed. As part of the Requirements Catalogue 05, a list of reference units was developed, reflecting the military units or assets necessary to deliver the capabilities. They form part of the supplement to the Requirements Catalogue 05. The
EUMC will update the list on a routine basis, with the assistance of the EUMS.
28. With the finalisation of the Requirements Catalogue 05 it will now be possible to extract and refine the actual ESDP requirements for space-based capabilities
29. A report on the process of developing an information gathering instrument and an Operational Analysis (OA) tool for the EU's use has been presented to the PSC. Concepts of Analysis for the studies were developed by a specialist technical panel of the EUMCWG/HTF in order to implement the EU studies into operational analysis and information gathering. The panel analysed the EU needs for OA in support of capability planning and the process of defining the tools' requirements in order to
address the EU's needs is ongoing. The process of developing an information gathering instrument and an operational analysis tool for EU's use to meet the EU's specific needs continues. The development of an information gathering system would benefit from lessons learned from the development of the Headline Goal Questionnaire.
30. The second Battlegroup Co-ordination Conference (BGCC) was held on 8 November 2005 and resulted in the commitment by Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus of a battlegroup filling the remaining gap in the second half of 2007. This ensures that from January 2007, the EU will have the full operational capability to undertake two battlegroup size operations of rapid response, including the ability to launch two such operations nearly simultaneously. Preliminary indications have been provided on
the availability of battlegroups beyond 2008. In line with the agreement that it is essential that the potential OHQ for a battlegroup package be pre-identified as early as possible, OHQs have been identified for most battlegroup commitments, noting that the final decision is the prerogative of the Council. The conference was held using a detailed BGCC Methodology agreed as a result of lessons learned from the first conference.
31. Further work was undertaken on the Battlegroups Concept, including agreement of an annex on Logistics arrangements and a paper on strategic movement and transportation issues. A paper was presented on Lessons Identified from Battlegroups Initial Operational Capability and a Lessons Learned Methodology is being established for future use.
32. A seminar held in the Czech Republic in early November provided an opportunity for Member States to consider strategic-level decision-making issues such as the necessary national mandates that would have to be agreed before a battlegroup deployment could take place. Further work on the issues arising from this seminar will now be taken forward. The European Defence Agency hosted a seminar in July on command, control and communications issues. The December Battlegroups Tactical Workshop held
in the UK focused predominantly on the more practical problems and challenges of Battlegroup operations.
33. All the work outlined above will feed into an updating of the battlegroup roadmap at the beginning of 2006.
34. Work has continued to implement the conclusions of the paper on Global Approach on Deployability (GAD). This has focused on generation and update of concepts, agreement of co-ordination centre procedures and the exercising of the GAD arrangements within the framework of CME 06.
35. The terms of reference and methodology for a study of the Maritime Dimension of ESDP in the context of Headline Goal 2010 were agreed. This will provide the basis for a thorough examination of present and future EU maritime missions, requirements and capabilities.
36. Work to develop a Long Term Vision (LTV) to guide capability development has been taken forward by the EUMC and the EDA jointly. The European Security Strategy and the Headline Goal 2010 will be used as the basis for this work. The EDA hosted a seminar on 21 September at which national experts discussed the methodologies that the EU could adopt in order to develop a LTV. The EUMC has explored the possible military implications of the strategic trends over the next 10-20 years. It is
envisaged that the EDA will take the lead in co-ordinating analyses of the global context and science and technology trends. The EUMC will take the lead in assessing the future military environment, under the political direction of the PSC.
37. The increase in the variety and location of ESDP operations has seen a need to review and develop duty of care procedures for military personnel deployed on EU reconnaissance and operations. Work is in hand to address these issues.
III. Achievements to broaden and strengthen the work of SATCEN and ISS
38. The EU Satellite Centre (SATCEN) continued to work in support of ESDP related activities, in particular for EU missions to Aceh (AMM), Bosnia and Herzegovina (ALTHEA), Sudan/Darfur (support to AMIS II), Georgia (EUJUST-THEMIS) and the Palestinian Territories (EU-COPPS); for EUMS and SITCEN counter-proliferation and contingency planning; and for EU exercises MILEX 05 and CME 06.
39. The EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) continued to develop its work on a wide range of priority global and regional issues. The Institute's role as a focal point for academic exchange, networking and monitoring of the European security agenda was further broadened and strengthened during 2005. A lessons-learned process of the first five years of activity has been initiated.
IV. European Defence Agency
40. In its first year of existence the European Defence Agency has already achieved important advances, notably the Steering Board's decision to open up the Defence Equipment Market within Europe in order to contribute to the consolidation and strengthening of the European defence technological and industrial base through a voluntary, non-binding, intergovernmental regime based on a Code of Conduct on Defence Procurement. This will encourage competition and is intended to improve the
competitiveness of European defence industry and access to Member States' defence markets. The Agency will continue to work on the linked issues, in particular on provisions for the achievement of security of supply.
41. The Agency has also made good progress in the other flagship areas: Command, Control and Communications (C3); Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; and Armoured Fighting Vehicles. In addition, the Agency has taken other initiatives to improve military capabilities. At the Ministerial Steering Board on 13 October eleven Member States decided to form an ad-hoc group to address how best to meet air-to-air refuelling requirements.
42. Following the study on C3 conducted jointly by the EDA and the EUMS, a number of areas have been highlighted for action including the launch of a feasibility study into Software Defined Radio. A programme for collecting data on the basis of an initial set of indicators on defence spending, including R&T expenditure, will allow potential strategic defence capability and research targets to be developed for the future.
43. Systematic EDA processes for tackling capability shortfalls have been established, completing the end-to-end process for capability development which ESDP requires. Integrated Development Teams, covering the entire spectrum of capability areas, have been set up and a growing number of associated Project Teams are being established. Most ECAP Project Groups are being migrated into this framework. The Agency's capability development process is also carefully integrated with its new R&T
networks.
44. The Agency has established effective relations with key stakeholders, in the first place with its participating Member States. Close relations are in place with relevant Council bodies (in particular with the PSC and the EUMC), with the General Secretariat of the Council, and with the Commission. WEAG has been closed down and the transfer of responsibilities from WEAO for R&T should be completed by the end of March 2006, subject to Council approval of Administrative Arrangements with
non-EU WEAG members. The EU-NATO Capability Group and informal staff-to-staff contacts have promoted transparency with NATO. Working relations have been established with LoI, OCCAR, defence industry, academic institutions and others.
45. On 21 November 2005 the EDA Steering Board adopted a budget proposal for 2006, this was approved by the Council on 12 December 2005. The Council postponed the requirement for a decision on a three-year financial framework by one year until autumn 2006. On 21 November 2005 the Steering Board approved the EDA Work Programme 2006, established within the guidelines adopted by the Council.
46. The Head of the Agency has submitted a report to the Council on the Agency's activities in 2005. In the report he underlines the need for launching concrete proposals for ad hoc collaborative projects, especially in R&T. The Head of the Agency has announced that, as recognised by the informal meeting of Heads of State and Government at Hampton Court, both levels of defence R&T spent in Europe and the amount spent collaboratively will be priority areas for next year.
V. Development of European Civilian Capabilities
47. Further progress was made on the Civilian Headline Goal 2008. The civilian capabilities the EU needs to fulfil its ambitions in line with the European Security Strategy were clearly defined in a detailed capability requirement. Member States indicated contributions towards the capability requirement, including in new capability areas such as specialists in the field of border policing, organised crime, sexual and violent crime, human trafficking and human rights.
48. Progress was also made on new rapidly-deployable capabilities. A concept for setting up and deploying Civilian Response Teams (CRTs) was agreed, with the initial goal, for the end of 2006, of a CRT pool of up to 100 experts. New doctrine for the rapid deployment of police, including robust capabilities such as Integrated Police Units and Formed Police Units has also been developed.
49. Ministers of Foreign Affairs met in the context of the Civilian Capabilities Improvement Conference, on 21 November 2005. Ministers reiterated their commitment to meeting the Civilian Headline Goal 2008, highlighted priorities for future action and provided direction for the way ahead. [Building on this, a Civilian Capability Improvement Action Plan was adopted by the Council in December which forms the basis for work in 2006. As well as measures to tackle the highest-priority capability
shortfalls, the Capability Improvement Plan includes steps:
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