The European External Action Service (EEAS) announced, in a scoping document sent to delegations on 8 February and obtained by EUROPE, that the first draft text of the ‘Strategic Compass’ could be presented by the autumn.
“By November 2021 (...), a first draft of the Strategic Compass will be prepared and presented by the High Representative of the Union to ministers for discussion and guidance”, explains the scoping paper on the preparation of the ‘Strategic Compass' (see EUROPE 12646/24).
This document provides the main lines of the future ‘compass’ “based on the ideas presented by Member States in their responses to the main policy questions”.
According to the EEAS, the first part of the ‘compass’ should reflect the threats and challenges the EU faces.
The second part should describe what the EU needs to do - in the light of threats and challenges - in the areas of crisis management (first basket) and resilience (second basket) to “strengthen its ability to act autonomously when and where necessary”.
In terms of crisis management, the EU needs to become a more capable and effective crisis responder and security provider (including through CSDP missions and operations) and increase responsiveness and operational readiness, the diplomatic service believes.
To strengthen the EU’s resilience, the EEAS says the EU must work on secure access to global commons by becoming a stronger actor in maritime security and strengthening cyber security and the role of defence in space. The assessment of strategic vulnerabilities in security and defence, the strengthening of mutual assistance and solidarity between Member States and the improvement of military assistance to civilian authorities, especially in times of pandemic, are other areas of work.
In order to achieve these objectives, the ‘strategic compass’ should describe the capabilities the EU needs (third basket) and how it can strengthen its support and cooperation with its partners (fourth basket), according to the diplomatic service.
Thus, the EU must develop the necessary civilian and military capabilities, improve the processes for developing these capabilities and promote technological sovereignty and innovation.
It must also strengthen its security and defence partnerships through structural and enhanced cooperation with international organisations in certain areas, developing a more strategic approach to partnerships with third countries in this field, and supporting partners in managing their security by themselves.
The EEAS recommends that the ‘compass’ should be time-bound, with clear objectives on what the EU and its Member States should do in the next 5-10 years in the field of security and defence. “The compass should define political orientations, goals and specific objectives, as called for in the Council conclusions of June 2020”, says the framework document (see EUROPE 12509/13). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)