Brussels, 21/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - The EU's first military exercise (the CME 02), decided at the European Council in Laeken, begins on Wednesday in all EU capitals, and ends on 28 May. This mock crisis management exercise aims to test: 1) the way EU military structures and procedures work in the "pre-decision" phase; 2) the relationship and coordination between the various actors concerned (Member States, Council, Secretary General/High Representative for CFSP, the Commission and the EU Satellite Centre in Torregon).
To put it clearly, the players will, for one week, simulate the pre-decision process required for planning a crisis management operation on the basis of a fictitious scenario: a crisis between two countries called Alphaland and Bravoland, caused by friction between different ethnic groups. The exercise will be conducted in all European capitals as, in such an event, all capitals must be consulted by their permanent delegations in Brussels. This joint simulated exercise only concerns the decision-making process, the military aspect and the training of armed forces directly managed by Member States.
The unfolding of the process, called the "crisis management concept" is as follows:
The EU Council takes the decision to follow up a crisis situation.
The Secretariat General and the Chiefs of Staff prepare a document defining the different responses possible (military, police, legal) in the context of which the EU may take action. The Council decides on the response(s) to be given after the opinion of the COPs (Political and Security Committee) and of the different participants concerned has been received: - the Military Committee for the military response, the CIFCOM (Committee for civilian and crisis management aspects) in the case of a police response, and the Commission for responses of a legal kind.
A strategic option presenting different possibilities (military, political and/or legal) for resolving the crisis is proposed to the Council which, following the opinions of the bodies concerned, approves or disapproves the strategic option. Once the option has been approved, an operational concept is established presenting the different aspects to be implemented and the directives to be given.
UN, NATO and OSCE representatives will observe the way the exercise is conducted and there will be consultation with European but non-EU NATO member nations (Turkey, Norway, Iceland, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary) and the candidate countries. The exercise should take place every year in the aim of safeguarding what has already been achieved and continually improving the way the EU's military procedures and structures function in the pre-decision stage.