EU Headquarters returns…
(BRUSSELS2) It's an old debate! Questioned during his visit to the Ulm headquarters - within the framework of the ML 12 exercise, Hansjörg Haber, the European Union Civilian Missions Commander (CPCC) expressed the wish to see the headquarters of the military command of Ulm (*) and the "headquarters" of civil operations in Brussels make a single complex, based in Brussels. Of course, Mr. Haber recognizes the potential of the new means of communication made available to EU external action (video-conferencing, etc.), but “ It's still not the same thing as being in the same room ».
At present, there is no permanent link in Ulm between the CPCC and the military command. If necessary, the representatives of European civil action should therefore travel to Potsdam. However, the current arrangement does not seem to pose the slightest problem to the military. "Our organization in Potsdam is good. When someone from outside comes to work with us, it just takes a few weeks for everything to run at maximum efficiency.says one of the soldiers from the command center.
Technical or political question?
The "Weimar +" (France, Germany, Poland + Italy, Spain) had recognized the interest of an operational headquarters allowing symmetrical coordination between military and civilians. However, the debate is blocked in the Council (Nb: due to the veto of the United Kingdom). It is a political decision between Member States. " It's hard to say what this will lead to. (...) I am sure that the controversy will come out again confided Mr. Haber.
(*) Editor's note (NGV): The OHQ of Potsdam is one of the five OHQs recognized and approved by the EU to allow the conduct of operations, to which is added the SHAPE of NATO (which supposes relying on NATO structures, a device that was used only for the EUFOR Althea operation).
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