The second draft text of the ‘Strategic Compass’, of which EUROPE has a copy, is less specific about capabilities than the first draft (see EUROPE 12831/1).
While the first version clearly highlighted certain strategic capabilities - main battle tank system, unmanned naval platforms, future air combat systems, new sensors and platforms for Earth observation from space - without giving a precise date for developing them, the new version, dated 5 January, is broader, citing these capabilities among others.
The new project states that “over this decade and beyond”, Europe will focus its capability development efforts on next-generation capabilities, particularly at the level of systems and sub-systems, in the areas of intervention identified by the CARD, in the land, maritime, air, space and cyber domains.
The second draft, in contrast to the first, also focuses on combatting terrorism and violent extremism and the promotion of non-proliferation, disarmament and arms control. It proposes, inter alia, to commit to strengthening concrete EU actions in support of multilateral non-proliferation objectives by 2023.
The paper also highlights cyber, hybrid and intelligence issues. In particular, it places more emphasis than its predecessor on the EU’s hybrid toolkit, which is to be developed this year. This toolkit should “provide a framework for a coordinated response to hybrid campaigns that affect the EU and its Member States and could include, for example, preventive, cooperative, stability and restrictive measures”.
According to the text, by 2025, Europe will strengthen its unique intelligence analysis capability by enhancing resources and capabilities and the EU Satellite Centre to increase its autonomous geospatial intelligence capability. The ‘Compass’ also calls on the EU institutions, agencies and bodies to adopt additional standards and rules in 2022 to ensure cyber security and information security, to facilitate the exchange of information.
The new version also further develops partnerships, with a strengthening of regional and bilateral ones, be it with the OSCE - with the development of a common roadmap on conflict prevention - or the African Union - with joint field visits.
According to the new version, the threat analysis will no longer have to be carried out every five years, but every three years, with a first review not in 2025, but in 2023. After the second review in 2026 - and not 2025 as initially proposed - the High Representative will be able to make proposals for a possible revision of the ‘Strategic Compass’. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)