Europe of defense or Europe of peacekeeping?
(BRUSSELS2 / Reflection) The common European security and defense policy – defined in the Treaty of Lisbon – is based on a misunderstanding that needs to be resolved. The objectives assigned and the operations it conducts are not aimed at the defense of European territory, in a military way (this is the role of a military Alliance such as NATO) but at promoting the maintenance of peace, the construction state structures. We should therefore ask ourselves whether it would not be in our interest to rename the various crisis management structures in this sense, in the same way that there is a department of peacekeeping operations in the United Nations ( DPKO or Department of Peacekeeping Operations).
Why this change?
Defense Europe today suffers from a clear lack of motivation but also from a lack of explanation and clarity. Today it is completely impossible to clearly explain what Defense Europe does by resorting to official terminology, as the acronyms used (CPCC, CMPD, etc.) are so many names that will drive away the enthusiastic neophyte, without resorting to to a transgression. Even the legal terminology "common security and defense policy" does not cover much.
This exercise would also aim to dispel certain misunderstandings that exist in public opinion as well as in elected representations, including the European Parliament, or in NGOs. The use of military means makes sense for peacekeeping operations. It would also make it possible to clearly identify the difference with an organization like NATO. Of course, one could argue that this would imply for the EU the abandonment of certain ambitions. Honestly, today, this ambition is carried by no one. And assuming that it is, there are only 2-3 countries in the EU which have the capacity (military, political and philosophical) to carry out an operation by force.
Does this require legal or institutional changes?
In my opinion, no. It is not necessary to modify the Treaty which establishes a common security and defense policy (CSDP). Moreover, this already foresees as one of the main objectives of the CSDP, the maintenance of peace. Article 42 thus provides that " The Union may use them in missions outside the Union in order to ensure the maintenance of peace, the prevention of conflicts and the strengthening of international security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. ". At the institutional level, the integration in a single department of the three main entities, which can be assimilated to general directorates – CPCC, CMPD, EMUE – as well as specialized structures – the satellite center, or the European security and defense college – would be quite sensible; even if it will be necessary to find a modus vivendi to preserve to each one its autonomy of action and its personality.
