On Monday 13 November, the EU Council asked High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to present a forward-looking concept paper, by early 2018, on civilian common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions.
This paper "should assess, how civilian CSDP should further contribute concretely to addressing the new and longstanding security challenges", the conclusions adopted by the Council state. The paper should analyse where civilian CSDP "has added value within the EU Integrated Approach to Conflicts and Crises and throughout the entire conflict cycle, including prevention, early warning, crisis management, stabilisation and peacebuilding inter alia by building resilience, capacity building and support for security and stability", the conclusions add.
On this basis, the Council invites the high representative to present "by spring 2018", a "Civilian Capability Development Plan" which "will lay out the next steps in the development of civilian capabilities". The Council wants a "Civilian CSDP Compact, including political commitment to the process", to be agreed "in 2018, in order to live up to the level of ambition derived from the EU Global Strategy".
In their conclusions, the ministers highlight "the essential contribution" of the CSDP to responding to external conflicts and crises, to building the capacities of partners and to protecting the EU and its citizens. "Strengthening the police, rule of law and civil administration remains the core function of civilian CSDP", the conclusions state, also underlining the importance of tackling security challenges, including those linked to irregular migration, hybrid threats, cyber security, terrorism and radicalisation, organised crime, border management and maritime security.
The EU currently deploys ten civilian CSDP missions around the world. (Original version ii French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)