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OSS Bergamini at the head of European “Intelligence”? (update)

(BRUXELLES2) The SITCEN - situation center (in other words information) of the EU - is changing hands. Frenchman Patrice Bergamini takeswould the relay of the British William Shapcott who officiated in this position since the creation of SITCEN, after the terrorist attacks of 2001 (1) and was appointed to another position in the Council of the EU (2).

A small revolution

This appointment is anything but trivial. When SITCEN was created, the British had made it a condition sine qua their participation the presence of one of their own at its head. It is therefore a significant development of this position. And this service should by integrating the diplomatic service know a certain development - always out of sight. It will in fact retain its autonomy - like all the civil-military services of European defense - as well as direct access to the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs.

Formally, however, the SitCen should only be transferred on January 1 under the authority of the High Representative of the EU, Cathy Ashton. In the meantime, it remains under the authority of the Council of the EU (the member states). And the appointment of Bergamini (who "acts" as director pending the creation of the EEAS) still has to be endorsed by the Secretary General of the Council of the EU). But this one has the support of Ashton... as well as "services". Which is, after all, the essential!

A service that only asks to prosper

The SitCen comprises around a hundred people, mainly on secondment from the Member States, and is divided into several units: the communications center which manages consular affairs, in particular to coordinate the action of the Member States in the event of an accident or disaster at foreign (as in Haiti, recently); an analysis unit, which delivers daily (or even more) an analysis of the events that have happened in the world and an operational unit. The SitCen is one of the only entities to operate 24 hours a day, 24 days a year, in a very discreet office in the EU. An exciting universe... This blog will come back to it.

Patrice Bergamini is used to shadow and light

French diplomat, foreign affairs adviser, Patrice Bergamini officiated at the Quai d'Orsay task force on the former Yugoslavia and at the French Embassy in Rome (as first secretary). Then it was made available to the EU. From 2001, he was thus the Balkan, Middle East and Africa adviser to Javier Solana (then High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs) and participated in particular in the work on the European security strategy, then its director- deputy to the cabinet (where he was notably in charge of the CFSP and the special representatives). When she took office, Catherine Ashton had a moment of hesitation, reluctant to take over the Solana'boys. Then, finally, she decided to integrate him into her team. In the cabinet of the Baroness, Bergamini thus followed certain strategic questions. His particular objective was to improve the image of the High Representative, scratched by the press, and above all her first missteps, not hesitating then to receive journalists to detail all the difficulties of the job of High Representative and pleading for give him time to prove himself. A task of conviction and dialogue in which he excelled, knowing how to keep a straight talk, relatively rare in official European spheres.

(Maj Dec.2010) Finally another solution will have been preferred And it is a Finn who has been appointed. Read : Finn Ilkka Salmi appointed head of SitCen

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

(1) The history of the SitCen is a bit older. It dates back to WEU times. In 1999, when Javier Solana took office as the first High Representative for EU foreign policy, he moved the SitCen's center of gravity towards the European Union. It is therefore an organizational measure (Solana in fact exercises the dual role of Secretary General of the WEU and Secretary General of the Council of the EU at the same time as the function of Chief Diplomat of the EU). The SitCen/Crisis Unit then joined the brand new "Policy unit" as a simple office, headed by the Dane Matthiessen and made up of a few people. It was after the attacks of 2001 (New York) and then those of 2004 (London, Madrid) that the department really expanded, becoming a separate department with more extensive responsibilities.

(2) W. Shapcott rises to the top, appointed chief personnel officer at Council

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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