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The European Union Military Staff on Its Way Ahead

The European Union Military Staff (EUMS) performs early warning, strategic planning and situation assessment. As the EU is conducting its third military operation, the EUMS has become a key player in the development of the European Security and Defence Policy.

Five years after its establishment, the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) is more and more committed in addressing the dynamic development of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). This is in line with the European Security Strategy and shows how the EUMS is becoming more capable, more active and more coherent, seeking for better integration with civilian partners.

A Working Tool

In preparation for the requirements of the coming years the EUMS will see its officers and civilian personnel increase by about a third, from 148 to about 200. This development is a result of the rapid growth of the EU’s operational activities and the establishment of a Civilian/Military Planning Cell within the EUMS in 2005.

Position and Mission

In order to provide political control and strategic direction in a crisis, the European Council (Nice, December 2000) decided to establish new permanent political and military structures within the Council of the European Union.

These new structures are: - the Political and Security Committee (PSC); - the European Union Military Committee (EUMC); - the European Union Military Staff (EUMS), composed of military and civilian experts and seconded to the Council Secretariat by the Member States.

The Political and Security Committee

The Political and Security Committee (PSC) meets at the ambassadorial level as a preparatory body for the Council of the EU. Its main functions are keeping track of the international situation and helping to define policies within the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) including the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). It prepares a coherent EU response to a crisis and exercises political control and strategic direction.

The European Union Military Committee

The European Union Military Committee (EUMC) is the highest military body set up within the Council. It is composed of the Chiefs of Defence of the Member States, who are regularly represented by their permanent military representatives. The EUMC provides the PSC with advice and recommendations on all military matters within the EU. In parallel with the EUMC, the PSC is advised by a Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM). This committee provides information, drafts and recommendations, and also expresses its opinion on civilian aspects of crisis management to the PSC.

Role and Tasks

The Military Staff

The Military Staff (EUMS) is to perform early warning, situational awareness and strategic planning within the framework of crisis management outside of the EU’s territory (CFSP tasks: Article 17 para. 2 of the TEU as amended by the Nice Treaty). It will thus be responsible for peacekeeping tasks, tasks of combat forces in crisis management (including peacemaking) and further tasks identified in the European Security Strategy, such as joint disarmament operations, support for third countries in combating terrorism and security sector reform. The mission of the EUMS also includes identifying European and multinational forces as well as implementing policies and decisions as directed by the European Union Military Committee.

The role and tasks of the EUMS have some unique characteristics. On the one hand the EUMS is an integral part of the General Secretariat of the Council and directly attached to the Secretary General/High Representative, Mr. Javier Solana. Within the General Secretariat there are also two civilian directorates dealing with ESDP matters (Directorate VIII for Defence Aspects and Directorate IX for Civilian Crisis Management and Coordination). On the other hand the EUMS operates under the military direction of the EUMC, by which it is assisted and to which it reports. Although this arrangement could be viewed as complex, it provides a critical link between the Armed Forces of the Member States and the Council.

The EUMS ensures the necessary military expertise for the internal work within the EU, providing an early warning capability to that end. It plans, assesses and makes recommendations regarding the concept of crisis management and general military strategy, and implements the decisions of, and guidance by, the EUMC. It also supports the EUMC with regard to situation assessment and military aspects of strategic planning over the full range of EU-led military operations, either with or without access to common NATO assets and capabilities.

In the Field of Operations

The European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) has seen an astounding pace of development. Apart from several civilian missions and supporting functions (see Box), the European Union has already launched three military ESDP operations since 2003: - Operation CONCORDIA with 350 soldiers in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in 2003; - the autonomously EU-led Operation ARTEMIS with 1,800 soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2003; - and, since December 2004, Operation ALTHEA with about 7,000 soldiers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Planning and monitoring these operations has been a demanding but valuable experience for the young EUMS. The staff provided military advice on the Crisis Management Concept of the military operations, developed and prioritised the necessary Military Strategic Options, prepared the Initiating Military Directives, and elaborated military advice on the Operational Planning Process Documents that were prepared by the respective operation commanders [Concept of Operations (CONOPS), Initial Statement of Requirements, Operation Plan (OPLAN), and Rules of Engagement Request].

In addition to planning missions, EUMS personnel have been deployed to fulfil expert roles or provide a bridging capacity.

In the Field of Capabilities

The EUMS helps the member states concerned to elaborate, assess and review capability goals, thereby striving for consistency with NATO’s Defence Planning Process (DPP), and also taking into account the Planning and Review Process (PARP) of Partnership for Peace (PfP) in accordance with procedures agreed. In the context of capabilities, the EUMS also works in close coordination with the recently established European Defence Agency (EDA).

A further task of the EUMS is to establish appropriate relations with the United Nations and other international organisations (in particular the African Union). Through its Civilian/Military Cell, it undertakes strategic contingency planning at the initiative of the Secretary General/High Representative or the PSC. The Civilian/Military Cell helps to develop doctrines concerning civilian/ military operations, and prepares concepts and procedures for the EU Operations Centre.

Though it is still in its developmental phase, the Civilian/Military Cell has already assisted successfully in the planning of the civilian ESDP mission in Aceh, thereby illustrating the possibilities of close Civil-Military Cooperation. (The Aceh Monitoring Mission began on 15 SEP 2005 preceded by the Initial Monitoring Presence since 15 AUG 2005).

Current Development

The agreement of December 2003 on the EU Security Strategy (ESS) initiated a second wave of development for ESDP as well as for the EUMS. By defining security threats, strategic objectives and policy implications, the level of ambition and direction for ESDP became clear.

In order to become more effective in crisis management the EU must be more capable, more active, and more coherent, and it must work more with partners.

More Capable

As a response to the need to become more capable, new objectives for military capabilities have been defined.

The initial Headline Goal defined in Helsinki in December 1999 was the logical outcome of lessons learned during the Balkans conflicts of the 1990s. Its quantitative targets were tailored to achieving an intervention capability up to corps level (60,000 troops) which would be deployable within 60 days for periods of up to one year. The Headline Goal was accompanied by a European Capabilities Action Plan (ECAP). This Plan was designed to meet the capability requirements identified under the four military scenarios developed by the EUMS and approved by the then fifteen Member States: the prevention of conflicts, the evacuation of nationals, the forced separation of belligerents and humanitarian aid.

The initial "Helsinki Headline Goal 2003" prepared the way for the "Headline Goal 2010", ushering in a new stage and adding qualitative criteria for achieving capability improvements. Under the Headline Goal (HG) 2010, the Member States’ force contributions should be deployable together, and become more interoperable in theatre (in addition complementarity with NATO has to be assured) and sustainable with regard to materiel and human logistics.

Currently the EUMS is working on deriving military capability requirements from the different scenarios illustrating the HG 2010. Subsequently, the requirements will have to be matched with contributions by Member States. Specific measures will have to be taken to remedy the shortfalls identified. In the field of capability development the establishment of the European Defence Agency (EDA) provides an important vehicle for increased effectiveness. The collaboration that already exists between the EUMS and the EDA is expected to grow in intensity and in value.

In order to become more capable it is also necessary to adopt a wider spectrum of missions. For that reason the military tasks defined in the Treaty on European Union (TEU) have been expanded to include joint disarmament operations, support for third countries in combating terrorism and security sector reform. Further work will be needed to define the conduct of such operations.

More Active

The ambition of becoming more active goes beyond the increased number of operational activities. The EU should be able to undertake early, rapid, and when necessary, robust interventions, and even sustain several operations simultaneously.

The development of rapid response battle groups fits into this picture of becoming more active. As a part of HG 2010, the objective is to have integrated forces based on a reinforced infantry battalion (about 1,500 troops), that are able to start an operation on the ground within ten days after an EU decision to launch an operation. Battle groups may be deployed several thousands of kilometres away, be sustained for thirty days and be extended for up to 120 days. Battle groups are based on the principle of multinationality. Currently, 13 battle groups are being developed with the help of almost all Member States and at least one non-EU state.

The EUMS will continue playing a key role in refining concepts on these forces. Since January 2005, the EU has held at least one European battle group on stand-by. Stand-by periods are in most cases 6 months. The objective is to have two battle groups on stand-by from 2007 onwards and be capable of covering two operations separately or simultaneously.

Battle groups and other rapid response forces that are developed on the basis of HG 2010 could become a major vehicle for interoperability between Member States themselves as well as the creation of a strategic lift capability. In order to meet the challenges facing rapid response operations, the EU needs to streamline planning and decision-making. The EUMS has a critical role to play in this endeavour.

More Coherent

The wide range of crisis management instruments at the EU’s disposal distinguishes it from any other international organisation.

From a military point of view it is worth noting that all threats identified in the security strategy also have civilian facets. The EU’s integrated approach has evolved gradually. The EU civilian and military cooperation in Bosnia-Herzegovina is but one example of this. Also the civilian Headline Goal 2008 is being developed in close cooperation with efforts to meet the military requirements of Headline Goal 2010.

However, further efforts are needed for greater coherence. A significant step was taken this year with the establishment of the Civilian/Military Cell within the EUMS, designed to boost Europe’s crisis management planning capabilities. Therefore, the ESDP mandate for the current UK presidency also comprises continuing work on improving the coherence of EU efforts through joint civil-military operation capacities.

Regarding the conduct of autonomous EU military operations, the main asset will be national headquarters, which may be multinationalised for the purpose of conducting an EU-led operation. Nevertheless, under certain circumstances, in particular where a joint civil/military response is required and no national HQ is identified, the Civilian/Military Cell within the EUMS could generate the capacity to plan and run the operation. This would entail the setting up of an Operations Centre.

Working with Partners

Until now EU and NATO cooperated mainly in the fields of operations and capabilities.

Eventually, EU took over from NATO on two occasions: first in 2003, when Operation CONCORDIA succeeded NATO’s Operation Allied Harmony in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and then in early December 2004, when the EU launched Operation ALTHEA in Bosnia and Herzegovina, replacing NATO’s SFOR. For Operation ALTHEA, the EU continues to rely on NATO assets and capabilities, particularly for the chain of operational command.

On a provisional basis, an EU Cell has been established at the SHAPE Headquarters for Operation ALTHEA, and a SHAPE Liaison Team is currently situated within the EUMS in the Kortenbergh building. The terms of reference for a permanent NATO Liaison Team at the EUMS and a permanent EU Cell at SHAPE are going to be finalised by the EU’s Political and Security Committee and NATO’s North Atlantic Council.

For some months EUMS planners, along with Member States, have been supporting their African Union counterparts by working on the AU’s military mission in the Sudanese province of Darfur. These undertakings lend substance to ESDP in accordance with the security goals set out in the European Security Strategy.

As part of the General Secretariat, the EUMS has established relations with the Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) of the United Nations. Twice a year, a joint steering committee (EU/UN) meets in either New York or Brussels to discuss points of common interest and decide on future cooperation.

An EUMS military liaison officer to the United Nations will be established in New York in the coming days in order to further enhance cooperation between military elements of the two organisations.

As the only permanent integrated military structure of the EU, the EUMS has become the military lynchpin of the EU.

___________________________________ __________________________________ By: Lieutenant General Jean-Paul Perruche, Director General of the European Union Military Staff.

Eigentümer und Herausgeber: Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung | Roßauer Lände 1, 1090 Wien
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