|
Content provided by Europe Diplomatie & Defense, Agence Europe http://www.agenceurope.com
+ European military structure: a vital necessity
as published in Europe Diplomatie & Defense, Agence Europe 29 September 2009
The shift from bipolarity to multipolarity observed over the last few years has accelerated abruptly due to the current recession. This new scenario will cause a change of many of the current paradigms in a short and midterm run. In this new world order, Europe can no longer simply rely on having a seat at the “multipolar table”. And it won’t have an influence on a global level, nor will it be independent, be a reference for stability or a key factor for peace, unless Europe is able to secure its own defence by its own means in an autonomous and sufficient way. Perhaps today more than ever, in order to create such a capacity, the idea of Jean Monnet comes to mind who said that Europe unifies around specific large-scale projects. Without a consistent Europe of defence, there will not be a “Political Europe”.
Beyond the unmistakable frenzied political discourse proclaiming the European spirit, what one really perceives are the stubborn facts telling a completely different story, showing great inertia, sluggish half-heartedness and broad domestic agendas. All in all, the facts reveal a certain lack in leadership and political will to engage in an irrevocable commitment to a Europe of defence. We therefore need the Lisbon Treaty that, once enacted, will establish a robust political and legal ground, strengthening progress within the Union and the ESDP.
In this context, European military structuring is one of the two most essential issues that need to be addressed urgently (the other one being interoperability), if we are serious about making a substantial and credible attempt to gather momentum in ESDP. Over the last 20 years we have witnessed the creation of a number of headquarters like Eurocorps or Eurofor and some other units like the French-German Brigade, all of them serving a genuine European purpose. However, these formations do not have an organisational link and there is certainly no structural or reliable interdependence with the higher military echelon of the EU (Military Committee or Military Staff). The relationship between them is almost “clandestine” with the exception of the existing link between Eurocorps and the French-German Brigade being of a more formal nature, although not entirely. The project would therefore consist in creating a structure with the capabilities to handle all military aspects of EU-led missions if needed. In order to succeed, multiple actors will have to work together. On one hand, we have the EU member states or at least a sound core giving the whole project the required credibility and strength (the permanent structured cooperation stated by the Lisbon Treaty could play a prominent role in this effort). On the other hand, there is the United States as the Europe of defence needs at least non-opposition from the US in order to make progress. The Europe of defence has to be built with and not against the United States. Anything else would cause serious division within the Union.
Basically, the problem is threefold, as follows: the rationalisation of NATO military structures, which would certainly need to be downsized; the creation of a European military structure, even basic to initiate the first steps; and an agreement between the EU and the US in order to maintain an adequate level in terms of continental security during the transformation process.
One of the crucial midterm objectives of this project would be, once and for all, the creation of a European operational headquarters capable not only to plan but also to conduct EU-led operations comprising a variety of EU crisis management capabilities (military, civil, police etc.). Already existing “European” HQs, multinational forces and other capacities, for example police forces, should be subordinated to this HQ to avoid the creation of completely new organisations.
I would not consider this as duplication, but as an imperative need based on the conviction that Europe is the name of the game. From my standpoint, duplication is what Hervé Morin, the French Minister of Defence, described in the newspaper La Croix on March 20th 2008: “NATO should undergo a rigorous rationalisation: overall costs, personnel strength, number of headquarters. We should not forget that NATO has a € 2 billion budget, a staff of more than 22,000 full-time employees (for 60,000 soldiers in operations!) and about 320 different committees”. And I cannot resist the temptation to mention the illustrious group of semi-permanent organisations such as “ad hoc” groups, working groups and “mentors” scampering happily across the NATO budget, moving randomly from one allied training activity to another. Truly, all this is what I would call duplication.
 Lieutenant General Pedro Pitarch was Eurocorps Commanding General from September 2007 until September 2009. Prior to that, he served as Commander in Chief of the Spanish Land Force.
September 2009 – Copyright: Europe Diplomatie & Defense, Agence Europe
Send via email | |
