Brussels, 07/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - Rapid definition of the new EU requirements in military capabilities and a call for the establishment of an EU planning unit for civil and military operations - These are two of the initiatives to be taken by the Luxembourg Defence Minister, Luc Frieden, for "continuing to give concrete substance" to the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) when his country takes over EU Presidency from 1 January 2005. In an interview granted to Atlantic News, Mr Frieden states his trust in EU Member States' resolve to continue ESDP development. In his view, "there is now nothing to hamper" the construction of a Defence Europe but only "national customs to be coordinated, and military traditions to be shared".
Making up the shortfalls in European Union military capabilities is, together with the fight against terrorism, one of the priorities of the future EU Presidency in the Defence field. Luxembourg therefore intends to take "a further step towards the EU's 2010 target" (the "Headline Goal 2010", which defines the new objectives in military capabilities). In this context, it is "essential for us to make up a catalogue of requirements as quickly as possible" in order to be able to determine, and make up for, the EU's shortfalls. The Luxembourg minister is also of the view that it is imperative to "restructure our defence industries and to ensure that the development and acquisition of the military are carried out in a more rational manner", a task that comes under the responsibility of the European Defence Agency.
Failing any increase in defence budgets - Mr Frieden considers this somewhat unlikely in the near future because of the "difficult" budgetary situation of many Member States - it would nonetheless be "dangerous to cut current budgets" because of the threats now facing the EU, especially terrorism. In time, however, a budgetary effort will be necessary and Luxembourg plans to set the example. "Our effort in the past has not, I feel, been up to what our partners expected of us and we therefore plan to increase our defence budget", which is currently 0.8% of GDP, to "beyond the 1% mark" in coming years. This increase will be combined with reform of the armed forces in order to provide the EU with a "small" but "specialised" army.
In parallel to the development of military capabilities, Luxembourg hopes to strengthen the EU's civil capabilities, elements that it considers indispensable for contributing to the setting in place of rule of law in the country where a military mission has been deployed. "I believe that almost everywhere we send a military force, it is unthinkable for the military force to withdraw from one day to the next without our also dealing with the security aspects within these regions", Mr Frieden explained. In his view, any mission military must be followed up with a police mission, as was the case in Macedonia and as the EU is expected to do in Kosovo, once the NATO-led SFOR mission has completed its mandate.
In the aim of strengthening the EU's military and civil capabilities, the setting in place of the planning unit for the EU's civil and military operations - an "indispensable element if one wants to carry out European military intervention" - will naturally be one of the priorities of the Luxembourg Presidency. Mr Frieden was of the view that the planning unit makes the creation of a European headquarters completely obsolete. The idea of the headquarters was floated in April 2003 in Brussels during a mini-summit organised by Belgium with France, Germany and Luxembourg. "I believe that everyone today recognises the need for a unit" and that "there is no longer any need to go back on the idea" of setting up a European headquarters in due course, Mr Frieden said.
While defending ESDP development, Luxembourg hopes the construction of a Defence Europe will be carried out within the framework of strong relations between the EU and its strategic partners like NATO and the United States. Furthermore, the EU must consolidate its partnership with Russia and be more involved in its neighbours, such as the Balkans, which "are part of Europe but which are not yet 100% stable", and Ukraine, as "what is happening there has an impact on us". It must also "deal with the Middle East, together with the United States" as this is a conflict which has an "enormous effect on our security". Over and above these strategic areas, and especially as far as the African continent is concerned, all EU involvement must be carefully weighed up. "I believe that we cannot be present everywhere", Mr Frieden said, considering that the decisive element to be borne in mind will be the consequences that any crisis has on the EU. In any case, EU military operations on "other continents" can only be contemplated "in exceptional circumstances", he concluded.