On Monday 28 May, foreign affairs ministers called for civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) to be strengthened.
Last November, the Council of the EU had called on EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini to present “a discussion document by early 2018 for the future of” European Union civilian missions (see EUROPE 11904).
Given the “worrying transformation of the EU’s strategic environment over the past years”, the ministers consider, in very theoretical conclusions, that “in this context, a qualitative and quantitative leap forward in civilian CSDP is needed starting this year in order to bolster the EU’s role as a global actor in civilian crisis management”.
For this, civilian CSDP must play a role “focused on long standing priorities and tackling present and new challenges, through a new, flexible, modular and scalable approach, as well as effective resourcing of the missions”, ministers say.
The Council calls for a more effective CSDP, by proposing in particular the strengthening and speeding up of its planning through “relevant decision-making structures and simpler and faster procedures”. It is also necessary to “foster synergies and complementarity between civilian and military CSDP missions deployed in the same theatre” and to increase the readiness of these civilian missions.
The Council also hopes to strengthen coherence and cooperation between the civilian CSDP and actions conducted within the justice and home affairs framework.
By the summer of 2018 – and no longer by spring as requested in November – a plan for developing civilian capabilities containing the next stages to be followed should be presented. According to the ministers, the plan should be based on an overall evaluation of needs, define the quantitative and qualitative capabilities necessary to be developed, and propose organisational measures and concrete incentives, including financial incentives, to improve availability or propose solutions for strengthening response capacity.
A pact relating to civilian CSDP should be developed by November 2018. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)