The Nordic Countries and the European Security and Defence Policy

312 THE NORDIC COUNTRIES, THEIR REGION AND EUROPEcivilian crisis management forces and even supports the comprehensive securityapproach at the EU level. While this can be interpreted as Denmark compensatingfor its non-participation in EU military cooperation, the implementationof a comprehensive security approach at the EU level will limit Denmark’sparticipation in the civilian dimension as long as the defence opt-out prevails.On the whole, however, civil–military coordination has been more limited, andthe dominant security discourse in both Denmark and Norway has been moremilitarily focused than, for instance, the discourse in Sweden.Denmark has found itself in a paradoxical position in its relationship to theEU security policy because of its self-imposed European defence opt-out.Denmark may, therefore, not participate in the international operations that areled by the EU. The resulting problems are especially obvious now that the EUis taking over most of the NATO operations in the Balkans, to which Denmarkhas been an important contributor. 36 In principle, the Danish Government supportsthe EU’s comprehensive security approach and in its report on the fightagainst terrorism made many references to the work of the EU. 37 However, aslong as the Danish opt-out prevails, Danish participation in the EU’s comprehensivesecurity approach will remain limited.In Norway the government has begun to realize that the development of anEU security policy is going to become increasingly important and that nonparticipationis reducing Norwegian influence on European security. However,there is still little indication that the Norwegian Government sees the ESS asamounting to the institutionalization of a comprehensive approach to security.Rather than a comprehensive security project, it has been seen as a step towardsan independent EU military capacity and thus as a competitor to NATO. Thecreation of battle groups has received special attention in this context. While theMinister of Defence, Kristin Krohn Devold, successfully argued in favour ofNorwegian participation in the EU’s planned battle groups as necessary toavoid a marginalization of Norway, this was questioned by both those whofavour and those who oppose Norwegian membership of the EU. 38 It is interestingto note that in Norwegian discussions on EU security policy the comprehensivedimension is often ignored while the main emphasis remains on militaryaspects.36 Gade, S., ‘Dansk forsvar som sikkerhetspolitisk instrument’ [Danish defence as a security policyinstrument], Speech, Foreign Policy Society, Copenhagen, 2004; and Gade, S., ‘EU tager ansvar: Danmarktager forbehold’ [The EU takes on responsibility: Denmark takes an opt-out], Folk og Forsvar, June2004, URL , p. 1.37 Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, En verden i forandring: nye trusler, nye svar [A changing world:new threats, new responses], Government report on the response to terrorism (Udenrigsministeriet: Copenhagen,June 2004), URL .38 Norway will participate in the Swedish-led battle group along with Finland. Norwegian Ministry ofDefence, ‘Utdrag fra EUs forsvarsministermøte 22. november [Extract from EU defence ministers meeting,22 November]: Declaration by Sweden and Finland and Norway on the establishment of a joint EUbattle group’, Brussels, 22 Nov. 2004, URL .See also chapter 19 in this volume.