The Commission is looking into defence… Window dressing or real progress?
(BRUXELLES2) The skeptics will content themselves with saying. " There's nothing in there » ; the jaded " All that for this » ; the ignorant " Ah good ". To those, we can say, it is perhaps time to take a few days of vacation... or to follow the princely births. Without being the event of the century, the communication which will be adopted in a few hours by the European Commission is something relatively unexpected. We have already commented on it extensively for subscribers of the Club from B2 (to subscribe)
A collective debate
First of all, the very fact that the Commission is addressing the issue of the security and defense sector is in itself important. Until recently, talking about defense, the military, etc. was taboo in the corridors. Certainly there had already been two texts – on public defense procurement and licenses for transfers of military equipment within the EU – proposed in 2007 and adopted in 2009. But these went relatively unnoticed ( except specialists and B2 readers ;-). Certainly we have started to talk about cybersecurity or internal security, but always with a civil angle. But there had never been a general debate on the subject, involving a good half of the commissioners, each trying to add their personal touch. Sign of the general interest, President Barroso has decided to join the two Commissioners Tajani (Industry) and Barnier (Internal Market) for the press conference which will be held shortly at the Commission headquarters.
Displaying ambition
Behind a rather conventional title: “ Towards a more competitive and efficient defense and security sector", the first words placed at the head of the communication (at least of the draft as we have been able to see it leave no doubt about the ambition of the document). Taking up the terms of a speech on the State of the Union delivered by President Barroso last September, they place the ambition "high": “The world needs a Europe capable of deploying military missions to help stabilize the situation in crisis situations. We must strengthen our common foreign affairs and security policy (CFSP) and a common approach on defense issues.” (*)
Interesting proposals...
In the fifteen pages of the document, we can identify a certain number of actions that deserve sustained attention. We can separate them in two. Some concern the continuation of work started or already decided: the announced end of offsets, the clarification of certain exclusions for public defense contracts, improving the licensing system, exploiting all possible energy savings in military matters, etc.
…or even new projects
Others are more new. We can cite three.
1° Financing – through Community funds – of projects aimed at supporting the CSDP (common security and defense policy).
2° The establishment of public procurement schemes for prototypes.
3° The acquisition of “own” capabilities provided that they do not have a purely military purpose but can serve dual military and civilian uses… Which is now becoming – apart from pure and simple armament – a standard. All heavy equipment – for example the A400M transport aircraft, BPC ships, drones, “cyber” combat means or communication satellites – must now comply with civil (as well as military) standards and can have a dual military and civilian application (transport for humanitarian purposes, internal security, justice, financial protection, etc.).
A call to member states
The communication ends with an "appeal" to Member States and Heads of State and Government to:
- – define a “strategic approach” (diplomatic term for what could broadly be a blank sheet on Defense)
- – make the CSDP “truly effective” by committing “fully” to a European policy of common armaments and capabilities
- – to truly define a “European industrial defence strategy” based on a principle: to maintain a certain degree of strategic autonomy for Europe in certain critical technological areas
- – exploit all possible civil and military synergies,
- – spend the (rare) available budgetary resources in the most efficient way by reducing operational costs, harmonizing military needs, pooling demand, etc.
The end of a taboo, the end of an illusion
The roadmap for the European Defence Council in December has been set. The European Commission is equipping itself with a work programme for several years to come. In fact, it is not expanding its powers in the legal sense of the term, but its field of vision. The words "defence", "military", "strategic autonomy", "own capabilities" are no longer taboo. This is not nothing! Let us have no doubt that it will be able to continue this work - provided that we do not put too many obstacles in its way.
But above all, the Commission's communication puts an end to several illusions that are often maintained: "I am sovereign"; "I can do everything on my own"; "Leave me alone"; "The Americans are here anyway"... The reality check is here today. The Americans have repeatedly and sharply told Europeans that it was time to become adults and start being autonomous (a sometimes double-speak speech, we will come back to this, but which has the merit of existing). Europeans are beginning to realize that, in terms of defense tomorrow, as in financial matters today or in agricultural matters yesterday, no Member State has the financial strength to do everything on its own. Defense budgets are regularly decreasing (195 billion euros in Europe in 2011 for the 27). And the context is evolving according to common standards and increasingly advanced harmonization of the different areas: data protection, airspace, maritime space, etc. The example of the drone sinking Euro hawk German shows it: building or adapting a device is not bad, financing it is better, but without thinking about its insertion in a common space, the project is doomed to failure.
(*) It is also surprising not to see Catherine Ashton, the High Representative (and Vice-President of the Commission), give her point of view, even though she participated in the debate. Well, "not too much" underlines a spokesperson. Adding a touch of irony "that is why the communication has content"...
Read also: Europe must have strategic autonomy (Michel Barnier)