On Monday, 9 December, EU Member States' foreign ministers welcomed the progress made in implementing the Civilian Compact of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), adopted in November 2018.
The EU Council "welcomes the positive overall progress made over the past year in the implementation of the CSDP Civilian Compact, both by the Member States and, at European level, by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Commission services" as they specify the conclusions they have adopted (see EUROPE 12370/21). It is important to "ensure full and consistent implementation in all groups of the Compact", they add.
The objective is to fully implement the Compact, "as soon as possible and at the latest by early summer 2023".
To this end, "work should continue to review human resources management in close cooperation with Member States, in order to further improve responsiveness and efficiency and to ensure flexible, rapid and efficient use of the Common Foreign and Security Policy budget, in line with the political decisions taken", the conclusions specify. They also stress the need to strengthen synergies and complementarity between the civilian and military dimensions of the CSDP.
According to the EU Council, the priorities to guide the implementation of the Compact in 2020 include: - increasing jointly the number of seconded experts in the missions; - finalisation of National Implementation Plans and the commencement of their implementation; - ensuring a more modular, scalable and flexible civilian CSDP on the ground; - exploring the possible modalities of evaluating the operational impact of the missions; and promoting more joined-up action.
Enhancing and streamlining Member States' engagement in conflict management and stabilisation in the context of the EU Integrated Approach at EU Council working group level should be considered, according to Ministers.
See conclusions: http://bit.ly/2qzoasu (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)