What security threats and challenges confront the European Union (EU)? How is the EU to deal with these threats and challenges? The 2003 European Security Strategy (ESS) set out the principles, priorities and procedures of how the EU intends to protect and promote its security. This article from European Security Review suggests that the ESS should be revised in light of the changing threats and challenges facing Europe. To become a genuine strategy the ESS should contain clear targets and objectives, and detailed action plans for their achievement.
The ESS should be reappraised every five years to respond to rapidly evolving threats. The first review of the ESS should take place in 2008. To build stronger institutional support and earn greater legitimacy for the ESS, this process should involve proper oversight by the European Parliament and national parliaments. This would also enable civil society organisations to provide inputs.
The ESS refers to the need to develop a strategic culture fostering early, rapid and robust intervention. Previous interventions demonstrate the value of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) working to a common mandate based on a collective security strategy. This has not always been the case in practice. ESDP missions should require that member states:
- contribute to missions according to the pursuit of a common purpose and common rules of engagement;
- are prepared to respond flexibly when circumstances change on the ground;
- avoid the dangers of over-committing and being too ambitious;
- find out about ethnic breakdowns, political relationships, cultural sensitivities, historical grievances and other relevant factors before entering a theatre of operations; and
- enable legitimate local actors to take ownership of the peacebuilding process, rather than impose external solutions.
The ESS describes terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), regional conflicts, state failure and organised crime as the major threats facing the EU. What requires further in-depth analysis is how these threats interact in different contexts and how the EU can best use its capabilities to address them:
- Each of the three pillars of the EU must work in harmony to provide efficient and effective policies to counter contemporary threats.
- The ESS conclusion that terrorism poses a growing strategic threat to the whole of Europe is overplayed. The ESS should provide insight into the balance that needs to be struck between counter-terrorist activities and upholding the rights of EU citizens.
- The combination of terrorism, rogue regimes and WMD could pose a strategic threat to European security. The ESS should acknowledge that trying to stop proliferation without addressing its root causes is almost bound to fail.
- Consideration should be given to the possibility that imperatives for tackling different threats may conflict. A good example is Iraq, where attempting to remove the threat of WMD has created a failing state in which terrorists have grown in strength.
- EU member states need to speed up reconfiguration of their armed forces to make them suitable for deployment in ESDP missions. More needs to be done to pool and share military assets to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
- The ESS should have a greater focus on homeland security issues, such as natural disasters, energy security, protection of critical infrastructure and protection of borders.
