Strategic Panorama 2009 - 2010 - IEEE

Aníbal Villalba Fernández
Up until now only two EU operations have used this mechanism:
Concordia in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from March to
December 2003 and Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina since December
2004 and still under way. Some analysts question the value of assigning
the direction of these operations to the NATO Deputy Supreme Allied
Command Europe (DSACEUR), who runs the operation from Mons in
Belgium on a part-time basis, far away from the theatre of operations
and with an ad hoc Military Staff that belongs nominally to the EU and is
embedded in the NATO Headquarters(10).
These circumstances and experiences point to the need for a European
Union military headquarters in Brussels that is capable of interacting with
other EU players and of effectively addressing the challenges posed by
the development of the Common Security and Defence Policy.
THE COMMON SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY
The Treaty of Lisbon changes the name of the European Security and
Defence Policy to Common Security and Defence Policy, bringing it into
line with the other common policies. Following the experience of a decade
of ESDP, the Lisbon Treaty reflects the experiences of the development
the Union has undergone in security and defence, incorporating the lessons
learned from 22 civilian and military operations
Generally speaking, in the field of security and defence the Treaty of
Lisbon affects the harmonisation of the institutional structure, and this should
facilitate relations between key institutions such as the Council and the
Commission in respect of the Common Security and Defence Policy (11).
Permanent Structured Cooperation
A significant novel feature is that, pursuant to article 42.6 of the TEU –
Lisbon, Member States whose military capabilities fulfil higher criteria and
ements». Factsheet No. 14. November 2009. http://www.assembly-weu.org/en/documents/Fact%20sheets/14E_Fact_Sheet_Berlin_Plus.pdf?PHPSESSID=ad7ba3060e75d
20eca30f2c9c9daaedd
(10) STEWART, EMMA J. «The European Union and conflict prevention: policy evolution and
outcome». Pp. 220-225. Polity Press. United Kingdom. 2008.
(11) MÖLLING, CHRISTIAN. «ESDP After Lisbon: More Coherent and Capable?» Center for
Security Studies (CSS), Zurich, Switzerland. Vol. 3, No. 28, February 2008. http://www.
isn.ethz.ch/isn/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0C54E3B3-1E9C-BE1E-
2C24-A6A8C7060233&lng=en&id=46839
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