Today's Date:

European Defense

"Europe is in better shape than ever to face crises", Article made by Michèle Alliot-Marie, Minister of Defense, in the "Financial Times" Newspaper.

Paris, September 17, 2004

Ten years ago the notion of a collective European defence was, in the eyes of much of the world, just a pipedream. Five years ago, it was just fine words. Today, the concept has become a reality. In the past two years, despite scepticism from some quarters, a concerted effort by Europe's politicians and policymakers has made a co-ordinated European defence stance possible, and in a way that complements the mission of the Nato alliance.

Three concrete developments mark a new direction for European defence this year: the establishment of the European Defence Agency, joint European battle groups and a European gendarmerie.

For the first time since its creation in July, the EDA's steering board will meet today at Noordwijk in the Netherlands during the informal meeting of European Union defence ministers. The agency should become the main instrument of the European Security and Defence Policy. Although it will be autonomous, it will be fully integrated into the EU's institutional structure. The Noordwijk meeting will help further to define its role.

Among the agency's most important tasks is to help the EU streamline its efforts in technological areas, to reinforce Europe's industrial foundation and to foster research. The emergence of a real European defence industry is essential for greater EU competitiveness. The Union's member states have made strong commitments to ensure that the agency has real clout from the start. That will enable us quickly to harmonise the needs of members by rationalising procurement and expanding our common plans. The €25bn (£17bn) programme for A400M military transport aircraft demonstrates what Europe's defence industry can achieve. The programme currently has 60 orders from Germany, 50 from France and others from Spain, the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg and Turkey. The strategic environment has changed dramatically in recent years and has fuelled a new need for light forces that can be rapidly deployed to manage crises. Under a UK-German initiative, these battle groups will enable up to 1,500 EU soldiers to be deployed within two weeks up to 5,000km away. The creation of such a co-ordinated pool of troops should lead to transparent management of multinational deployments. Several countries have already expressed their willingness to participate. France, of course, will be very active in this area.

Another important feature of today's meeting is the establishment of the European Gendarmerie Force. The need to move from "military" to "civilian" security in a growing number of crises means such contingents are vital. The gendarmerie is likely to face a broad spectrum of challenges, from the initial phases of a crisis to the withdrawal phase, at which responsibilities pass to civilian authorities.

Some countries, including France, have a police force with a military status, and nearly all EU member states agreed to support the creation of such a force at a European level when I proposed this last year. Today, my Dutch, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese colleagues and I shall sign a declaration of intent. The force will have a small headquarters in Vicenza, Italy, and police units with a military status in each of the five signatory countries. The first staff elements will be in place as early as next month.

The EDA, battle groups and gendarmerie represent a coherent and concrete approach by the EU to its own defence and demonstrate Europe's desire to do more to meet its security responsibilities. In terms of resources, we now have a range that can tackle a wide variety of tasks: military deployments, police missions, assistance via civilian elements, humanitarian aid and even help with reconstruction. The EU must further cultivate this knowhow in resolving crises.

Faced with instability around the world, the EU, like Nato, must draw strength from the complementary nature of the roles and resources of the member states. As can be seen in the Balkans, in Africa and in Afghanistan, European defence does not work against but alongside Nato. It does so in the framework of a more balanced partnership that should reinforce the Atlantic alliance. The spread of crises makes any idea of competition between the EU defence structure and Nato untenable. Close collaboration is vital - as is recognition that today's threats cannot be overcome with military assets alone. Fortunately, the EU is now in better shape than ever to face the world's crises. Provided it does not get a complex about its relationship with Nato, its capacity to make the world a safer place should continue to grow.