Civil-military Coordination in the Common Security and ... - ETC Graz

Civil-military Coordination in the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union
in 2006 for the first time made concrete proposals how to ensure coordination not
only on the institutional level, but also in the field. 13 The paper underlines the need
for a clear strategy and precisely defined goals for all EU actors on the ground and
emphasizes the need for a common understanding of the overall aims of the EU’s
engagement. Moreover, that paper makes suggestions for the improvement of
logistics, and addresses issues related to the co-location of headquarters and the
central role of the EU Special Representatives (EUSR) for CMCO in the field.
The latest conceptual paper on CMCO outlines possible solutions for information
sharing and stresses that on the long run a situation should be achieved in which EU
crisis management is regarded as a joint effort by civilian and military means, which
should be able to share information through established information networks. 14
At this point, it should also be briefly mentioned that efforts for Civil-military
Cooperation (CIMIC) are also embedded into the EU’s concept for CMCO. However,
there is a fundamental difference between CMCO and CIMIC. CIMIC is about the
coordination and cooperation at all levels – “between military components of EU-led
military operations and civil actors external to the EU, including the local population
and authorities, as well as international, national and nongovernmental organisations
and agencies - in support of the achievement of the military mission along with all
other military functions.” 15 It should suffice here to briefly point out that in 2008 the
Council of the EU adopted a revised CIMIC concept establishing the basis and
framework for the planning and execution of all CIMIC activities and outlining the
guiding principles for CIMIC. According to that document, the main CIMIC functions
are civil-military liaison, support to the civilian environment and support to the military
force. 16
Thus, on a conceptual level the EU developed a detailed understanding of how
civilian and military tools of the CSDP should be coordinated. The progress made in
the development of the CMCO concept also had an influence on other EU concepts
for crisis management. Most importantly, the relevance of CMCO was acknowledged
13 Council of the European Union, Civil-Military Co-ordination: Framework paper of possible
solutions for the management of EU Crisis Management Operations, Doc. 8926/06,
Brussels, 2 May 2006.
14 Council of the European Union, Civil-Military Co-ordination (CMCO): Possible solutions
for the management of EU Crisis Management Operations - Improving information
sharing in support of EU crisis management operations, Doc. 13218/5/06 REV 5,
Brussels, 31 October 2006.
15 Council of the European Union, EU Concept for Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) for
EU-led Military Operations, Doc. 11716/08 REV 1, Brussels, 3 February 2009, para. 15,
(emphasis added by the author).
16 Council of the European Union, Civil-military co-operation (CIMIC) concept for EU-led
crisis management operations, Doc. 11716/08 REV 1, para. 16. An earlier version is also
available: Council of the European Union, Civil-military co-operation (CIMIC) concept for
EU-led crisis management operations, Doc. 7106/02, Brussels, 18 March 2002. Through
CIMIC reconstruction activities, administrative support and humanitarian aid performed by
the military should help to stabilize the country or region through their effects on the
economic, social and political sector.
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