The European Security Strategy (ESS)

HELLENIC NAVAL ACADEMY MILITARY ERASMUS INITIATIVE

The European Security Strategy (ESS) ‘’A Secure Europe in a Better World’’

Lt Cdr G. Chrysochou Hellenic Navy General Staff Training Directorate

HELLENIC NAVAL ACADEMY MILITARY ERASMUS INITIATIVE

The European Security Strategy (ESS) SCOPE 

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND: THE NOTION OF SECURITY

 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ESS  KEY PRINCIPLES / ISSUES OF ESS  ESS LINKAGES AND CONSIDERATIONS TO CSDP

 CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES  CONCLUSIONS

The European Security Strategy (ESS) Theoretical Background: The notion of security  Security = a contested concept  Idea of national security (criticized for being ethnocentric)

‘’In the case of security, the discussion is about the pursuit of freedom of threat. When this discussion is in the context of international system, security is about the ability of states and societies to maintain their independent identity and their functional integrity’’ (Barry Buzan: People, States and Fear)

[The meaning of security has been broadened to include political, economic, societal, environmental as well as military aspects]

The European Security Strategy (ESS) Theoretical Background: The notion of security - Differing arguments about the tension between national and international security -

Different Dimensions of International Security

(conflicts with root causes and linkages to fragmentation of states, authoritarian regimes, population growth and environmental scarcity, economic pressures encouraging social tensions, large migration movements producing group-identity conflicts) - Globalization and new risks associated with international security (terrorism driven by fundamentalism and organized crime, global warming, breakdown of monetary system, nuclear accident)

The European Security Strategy (ESS) Theoretical Background: The notion of security  Emergence of ideas of cooperative and common security  Shift from traditional national security to international and human security  Traditional ambiguity about international security still remains.

 End of Cold War brought both new patterns of international security and insecurity, the latter modified by 9/11 and what followed…. Global terrorism and ‘war on terror’: ‘’9/11 attack started an era of violence and fear’’

Theoretical Background:

The notion of security Terrorism, organized crime information warfare ‘malice line’

weapons of mass destruction

extra-terrestrial eg asteroid impact drugs & thugs

civil unrest

military

Security: non-military

group

International aggression

Environmental threats (natural or man-made)

calde ra

individual/ family

civil war

region

corporation

state

The broad spectrum of security

world


The notion of security

Inter-agency responsibility

Integrated response from all agencies needed airlines, police, emergency services, intelligence services, judiciary, financial institutions, diplomatic, military


The notion of security Inter-agency responsibility

The Notion of Security: Traditional conflict resolution process

Iraq, Kossovo

post-conflict

peace building

peace-building not based on comprehensive approach trad. peace keeping

preventive diplomacy

SECURITY GAP Destabilization by terrorists, group-identity conflicts and religious divides, economic and social isolation

peace enforcement

Conflict prevention not based on holistic approach preventive deployment pre-emptive strike

War fighting

The European Security Strategy (ESS) Historical Development of the ESS  • • •

1998 Franco-British meeting in St-Malo (creation of ESDP): Strategic differences among member states Emphasis on military instrument Debate over the overall EU external action across the pillars

 December 1999 European Council meeting in Helsinki: • Initiation of building military and civilian capabilities for crisis management, without possessing an overall strategic framework for EU external action. • Gradual emergence of a European security approach (integrated, multidimensional or comprehensive). • Need for clear-cut strategy and consensus.

The European Security Strategy (ESS) Historical Development of the ESS  Intra-European crisis over Iraq stimulus for the development of a formal strategy  First EU military operation without the use of NATO assets and outside Europe: Operation Artemis in the DRC (12 June – 1 September 2003).  Informal meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Greece (2 - 3 May 2003): • Task for the production of a draft strategic document (A Secure Europe in a Better World) • Adoption of ESS, by the European Council meeting on 12 December 2003

The European Security Strategy (ESS) Key principles / issues of ESS

 ESS: not perfect - consensus needed over the ‘hot’ issues - remaining divides on the nature of transatlantic partnership - degree of EU autonomy as an international actor etc.  but important achievement (containing number of clear choices and thus strengthening the strategic framework for EU foreign policy)

The European Security Strategy (ESS) Key principles / issues of ESS STRATEGY BASED ON GLOBAL PUBLIC GOODS (GPG) -physical security or ‘freedom from fear’; -economic prosperity or ‘freedom from want’;

-political freedom or democracy, human rights and the rule of law; -social wellbeing (“GRAND STRATEGY” rather than just a security strategy)


BASIC PRINCIPLES PREVENTION A permanent strategy of prevention and stabilization, addressing the root causes of threats and challenges HOLISTIC APPROACH

EFFECTIVE

Requirement of a mixture of response instruments against threats related to human access to public goods in every dimension (security, economic, political, social).

MULTILATERALISM We need to pursue our objectives both through multilateral cooperation in international organizations and through partnerships with key actors

ESS


ESS STRUCTURE THREE MAIN CHAPTERS:

SECURITY

DEFINITION OF

POLICY

ENVIRONMENT

STRATEGIC

IMPLICATIONS

ANALYSIS

OBJECTIVES

The European Security Strategy (ESS) ESS LINKAGES AND CONSIDERATIONS TO CSDP

Need to translate the ESS into sub-strategies o

EU Neighbourhood, Africa, terrorism, WMD etc de facto sub-strategies but clear CSDP related sub-strategy missing (missing link between the ambition in the ESS “to share in the responsibility for global security” and the practice of CSDP operations and capability development) o Need to prioritize our commitments, in line with resources (2008 Report by December 2008 European Council on the Implementation of the European Security Strategy: ‘’Providing Security in a Changing World’’)

The European Security Strategy (ESS) ESS LINKAGES AND CONSIDERATIONS TO CSDP - Consensus about which tasks or types of operations the EU can undertake - Definitions of priority regions and scenarios in relation to Europe’s vital interests - Question of scale of effort to devote to the above prioritiesPRIORITIZING THE COMMITMENTS

Need to be asked within a civil-military sub-strategy, context.

The European Security Strategy (ESS) ESS LINKAGES AND CONSIDERATIONS TO CSDP 2008 Report on the Implementation of the European Security Strategy

 Left the text of the ESS itself untouched  Reinforced the ESS  Basic issue the implementation, not the strategy itself (It is not enough to have a strategy – we must also do strategy)

2008 Report on the Implementation of the European Security Strategy • Concise overview of ESS implementation • Confirmation of the holistic and multilateral approach • It mentions human security (To realize this for its own citizens is the fundamental interest of the EU) • But it offers little in terms of concrete recommendations Requirement for: more political courage more and better capabilities definition of clearer “sub–strategies”, in certain areas, to the ESS

The European Security Strategy (ESS) ESS LINKAGES AND CONSIDERATIONS TO CSDP

ONGOING CSDP MISSIONS COMPLETED CSDP MISSIONS

ESS related programs Early Warning System (EWS)

Mediation and Dialogue

Part of the EU’s on-the-ground preventive diplomacy and component of the EU’s conflict prevention and peacebuilding toolbox for conflict countries, based on the Concept on Strengthening EU Mediation and Dialogue Capacities adopted in November 2009.

The European Security Strategy (ESS) CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

• Both EES and the 2008 Report offer Poor recommendations for the future • Positive change brought up by: - Lisbon Treaty - New NATO Strategic Concept, in which EU contribution is essential • Emerging powers (BRICs) overshadow EU risks

The European Security Strategy (ESS) CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES Need for more specific objectives – Going the ESS further to an External Action Perspective

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Further enlargement (cannot proceed without strategic debate)

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Global and institutional objectives with regard to EU representation and strategic partnerships with BRICs

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Conflict resolution and Crisis management prioritization Autonomy vis-à-vis the US

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Launching a strategic reflection process for an updated strategy in the form of an “External Action Grand Strategy”

The European Security Strategy (ESS) CHALLENGES AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES Need for more specific objectives – Going the ESS further to an External Action Perspective

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Grouping and structuring thematic and geographical strategies hierarchically under the ESS.

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Diminishing or at least minimizing the gap between expectations and capabilities by enforcing implementation commitment

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Strengthening pooling and sharing by effective mixture of civil – military capacity

The European Security Strategy (ESS) CONCLUSIONS ESS: conceptual framework for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including what would later become the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). 2008 Report effectively confirmed the enduring validity of the 2003 ESS and the need to be ‘more capable, more coherent and more active’. Need for clear-cut sub-strategies and update the strategic objectives

The European Security Strategy (ESS) CONCLUSIONS

Need for greater implementation commitment by member states and better operational functioning among the existing structures Going to a new strategy or ameliorate the implementation policy / process (or even both) ? ESS still remains so present both in the official discourse and the academic / political debate (benchmark to judge EU performance, especially with regard to crisis prevention, response and external action)

The European Security Strategy (ESS)

QUESTIONS ?