Summary remarks by EUHR Solana at EU defence ministers meeting

Summary of remarks by Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, at the meeting of EU defence ministers in the framework of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, Brussels

OPERATIONS

Afghanistan

• Planning for the ESDP police mission in Afghanistan is being completed. This mission will represent a key contribution to the establishment of a professional police service in Afghanistan and therefore to bringing Rule of Law and peace and stability to this country. It builds on important efforts that the international community, and many member States in particular, are already developing there. It will bring greater coherence and sense of purpose in addition to more means. The challenges are nevertheless considerable bearing in mind the state of policing arrangements in Afghanistan and the security situation. We will need patience and determination.

• As you know, the main aims of the mission are (i) to give strong support to the building of a professional, trusted and efficient police force; (ii) to strengthen the interaction between the police and wider criminal justice system; (iii) to coordinate and support the development of joint strategy on police reform amongst the international community; (iv) to increase Afghan ownership of the reform process.

• The deployment is foreseen in two phases. The first phase is in the coming weeks, when the mission will be launched and the second is foreseen in November. Security of our deployed personnel is a key concern. We will be putting all the necessary means at the disposal of the mission to ensure that it operates under the safest possible conditions

• The future Head of Mission, Brigadier General Friedrich Eichele is already here in Brussels working on the final stages of the planning. I am very grateful to the German Presidency for offering such a competent and qualified police officer to head this mission.

• Member States and invited Third States have generously responded to the call for contributions for the personnel of the mission, largely exceeding the agreed targets.

• I called President Karzaï this week to inform him personally on the state of play of planning for the mission He is very grateful for this additional and very relevant EU effort.

• Relations with International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will be of key importance, not least as regards the logistic and security support it can provide to the ESDP mission. The corresponding staff to staff contacts with NATO to establish the relations between the two missions in the field are advancing well. Support from Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) nations will of course be essential and the Afghan planning team has also engaged in discussions with many of your experts.

• As you know, the US is currently deploying a substantial effort in the field of police in Afghanistan. We have therefore engaged with our American friends since the start of our planning. The US has clearly indicated its willingness to coordinate and cooperate closely with our police mission. Some of our police experts will also be deployed in US supported Regional Command structures and Provincial Reconstruction Teams.

• The planning for the mission is being closely coordinated with the Commission, particularly in regard to its planned justice reform programme in Afghanistan, and with the EU Special Representative (EUSR) in Kabul. Ensuring coherence within EU actors on the ground will continue to be crucial.

Kosovo

Political process

• Settling the status of Kosovo is about consolidating stability in the region. Uncertainty is destabilising. We do not want to see the region destabilise again. The EU has invested heavily in the Balkans, both economically and politically, and we want to find a sustainable solution to the Kosovo issue soon.

• On the Kosovo status issue, it is important that the international community has a coherent approach. It is also urgent to find a sustainable and pragmatic solution in the UN Security Council (UNSC). The EU continues to fully support UN Status Envoy Martti Ahtisaari and his efforts in conducting the political process to determine Kosovo's future.

• A viable settlement requires a UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR). It must be based on functional and sustainable solutions. It must also include comprehensive and effective measures to ensure the security and the future of all communities in Kosovo.

• UNMIK remains fully in charge until UNSCR 1244 is replaced by another UNSCR, which should provide a clear mandate for the future international presence. It is important that UNMIK continues to receive full support from the international community until the very last day of its mandate.

Planning of ESDP mission

• Our planning continues to be based on the assumption that there will be a new UNSCR establishing a clear mandate for the EU. We also continue to plan on the basis of a transition period of a maximum of 120 days between the adoption of a new UNSCR and the transfer of authority to the ESDP mission.

• A key issue for the success of the mission is to have close coordination with other international actors, most notably NATO. It is absolutely essential that the ESDP mission and KFOR are able to work closely and effectively together.

• As you are aware, a considerable amount of progress has been made at the staff level towards this end. Relations have been excellent, and work has been completed at that level on four Technical Arrangements to cover cooperation in the field.

République Démocratique du Congo (RDC)- Réforme du secteur de la sécurité

• Je voudrais en quelques mots vous livrer mon analyse de la situation politique et sécuritaire en RDC. Comme vous le savez sans doute, les événements tragiques des 22/23 mars dernier à Kinshasa nous ont montré combien la situation y restait fragile.

• Le nouveau gouvernement dirigé par M Antoine Gizenga s'est engagé à conduire un programme de réforme consigné dans son contrat de gouvernance et celui-ci donne une forte priorité à la réforme du secteur de la sécurité. Nous formons ici le vœu que celui-ci puisse effectivement être mis en œuvre.

• Pour cela, nous le savons déjà, il sera nécessaire que la communauté internationale reste engagée aux côtés des Congolais. Cela est vrai tout particulièrement de l'Union européenne qui dispose, en plus de l'action au titre du FED, de deux missions EUSEC et EUPOL agissant en étroite synergie l'une dans le domaine de la défense et l'autre essentiellement dans celui de la police.

• Enfin, nous avons le souci constant d'assurer la bonne complémentarité de nos efforts avec ceux de la MONUC.

EU-UN cooperation in the field of crisis management - lessons learned from Operation EUFOR RD Congo

• First of all, co-operation between the EU and UN in crisis management has produced excellent results. The challenge is how we can further consolidate and deepen co-operation.

• The EU lessons learned paper has concrete recommendations. The way forward is via pragmatic and concrete steps to further streamline co-operation. The UN shares this view. We have already started implementation of some of the findings of the lesson-learned process through a thorough secretariat to secretariat after action review exercise.

• I would like to commend the Presidency for arranging the seminar on military aspects of EUUN co-operation. We feel very much encouraged by the facts that the conclusions of the seminar tally fully with our EU lessons learned paper.

• On the lessons from Operation EUFOR Congo, I would draw your attention to a number of key issues in addition to that of EU-UN cooperation which we will need to address in coming weeks, and some of which we touched on at our informal meeting in Wiesbaden in February.

• We all agree EUFOR Congo has been a great success, but we also all should recognise that there are things that could be improved. If we want to be serious in crisis management we should seriously consider our shortfall and work to correct them.

• I was stimulated by our discussions in Wiesbaden on this issue. We must be pragmatic, this is the way we should consider solutions to the identified difficulties.

• There is one particular point I would like to underline: next time we need to make sure that we are able to get the first bit of planning right, so as to facilitate your national decision making process and support the Council decision making process. I will take this forward with General Leakey who will work closely with the EU Military Committee. I look forward to getting back to you with concrete measures.

Military Capabilities

Réponse rapide

• Sur la capacité de réponse rapide militaire de l'UE : Il me semble essentiel d'avancer sur toutes les voies en cours.

C'est en effet un sujet fondamental pour la capacité globale de l'UE. Il faut à la fois assurer la cohérence civilo-militaire, et aussi la synergie interarmées.

Je ne doute pas que les discussions permettront d'aboutir rapidement à un consensus sur un mandat et sur une méthodologie pour ces travaux.

• Concernant les Battlegroups : Je voudrais souligner que lors de la réunion semestrielle de coordination des groupements tactiques tenue le 3 mai, les Etats membres ont maintenu leurs engagements et ont fait des offres initiales jusqu'au premier semestre de 2011, une offre supplémentaire étant toutefois nécessaire pour combler le deuxième semestre 2010.

Je voudrais notamment souligner qu'une offre importante faite par quatre Etats membres a permis de combler la vacance que nous avions au premier semestre de 2009.

Processus de développement capacitaire

• Comme je vous l'avais dit lors de notre rencontre à Wiesbaden, je suis convaincu que, puisque la Stratégie européenne de sécurité reste la base de travail, il est inutile de relancer ce processus une troisième fois. Je considère en effet pour ma part qu'il nous faut à présent prendre un peu de recul pour réfléchir ensemble à ce processus et en tirer tous les enseignements.

Plan de Développement des Capacités

• Dans ce contexte, j'appelle votre attention sur l'importance du nouveau chantier que constitue la réalisation du Plan de Développement des Capacités (CDP). Ce plan a vocation à offrir un cadre commun aux Etats membres pour aller au delà des conclusions de l'Objectif Global de manière à développer ensemble les nouvelles capacités dont nous aurons besoin. Le CDP doit aider les planificateurs à mieux prendre en compte les implications d'un monde incertain. Il faut avoir à l'esprit que les décisions en matière de programmes prises maintenant auront des effets sur nos forces dans les 20 prochaines années.

• Un tel chantier exige un engagement commun. Les travaux de l'Agence, en étroite collaboration avec les Etats Membres et le Comité Militaire, sont prometteurs. Le défi, à l'évidence, est de gérer cet exercice de telle manière que nous puissions produire des résultats opérationnels dans un délai raisonnable.

European Defence Agency

• We have just had a successful Steering Board meeting and I'm pleased to confirm that the Agency is well on track - going from strength to strength. It is now proving itself a fully effective instrument. My report reflects this overall satisfactory picture.

In short:

• Good progress on major new strategies, the two big issues for this year: the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (DTIB) strategy and the Capability Development Plan.

• Successful implementation of the major initiatives launched last year, such as the Code of Conduct on defence procurement, the Joint Investment Programme (JIP), the Agency's work on Software Defined Radio (SDR).

• And a potentially innovative and challenging approach on Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs).

• We have a good record - let's keep the momentum, all together.

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• Council Conclusions on EU Security and Defence Policy (14/5/2007)
• Summary remarks by EUHR Solana on Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) (7/5/2007)