Pooling, Sharing a 'Necessity': EU Report

19 Jul 2011 By JULIAN HALE DefenseNews

BRUSSELS - A report on the EU's Common and Security Defence Policy (CSDP) produced by the European Union's external action service said pooling and sharing military capabilities in Europe "has become a necessity rather than a mere option" in a world facing "an increasingly complex and unpredictable security environment."

"There is political momentum [for pooling and sharing] and expectations remain high," said the report, presented by Catherine Ashton, EU high representative for security and defense policy, to EU foreign ministers July 18.

The classified 21-page report, seen by Defense News, added that "if the EU is to remain an active player in the world, it must maintain highly capable military forces - these are crucial to a credible CSDP" and that "multinational cooperation must become a reflex - the rule rather than the exception - if we want to preserve and develop Europe's defence capabilities."

Acknowledging that European defense expenditure has been declining and is likely to continue to do so, the report said "only a fraction" of about 200 billion euros ($281.4 billion) per year spent on defense in Europe "is resulting in deployable capabilities."

"I encourage member states to extend existing cooperative projects to new partners and/or to initiate new cooperation, building on the very welcome public commitment made by EU chiefs of defense to pursue this objective by mid-2012," Ashton wrote.

She expresses the hope that ministers will confirm concrete commitments to more and more systematic cooperation over the coming autumn and suggests the idea of a dedicated event where member states "could declare their intentions with regard to new cooperation initiatives."

The report said member states' initial findings - more than 300 proposals - identify a number of practical possibilities, particularly with regard to the preparation of forces (education and training, logistical support and maintenance).

"Space capabilities and strategic transport may also be suitable for pooling and sharing," it said.

In addition, Italy has said it is willing to take forward a new project on pilot training and medical support for operations while Germany is willing to press on with the pooling of maritime patrol aircraft.

Although the French-backed idea of a permanent EU civilian and military planning headquarters looks dead in the water after the U.K. effectively vetoed it July 17, the report said a decision by EU member states on how to improve the planning and conduct of CSDP missions and operations is due by the end of 2011.

"Next steps should involve a cost efficiency analysis, comparing the cost of the existing situation with the cost of the possible solution offered," it said.

As for EU-NATO cooperation, the report said "promising work is underway" on countering roadside bombs and medical support and names CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) and cyberdefense as potential areas for future work together.