The Nordic Countries and the European Security and Defence Policy

More documents

Recommendations

Info

382 THE NORDIC COUNTRIES, THEIR REGION AND EUROPEwill lead not to coherent capability development, but to a situation where theythemselves are torn between different loyalties. 78Although training and equipment for participation in the NATO ResponseForce and the EU battle groups should be the same—since the ESDP is supposedto adhere to NATO standards and doctrine whenever possible—Balticsecurity managers foresee the differences that will occur. They argue that, if forno other reason, these differences will occur because ‘the standards might bethe same but will not be identical’ when the NATO Response Force has morethan 20 000 troops while the EU battle groups each have 1500. The consequentdifferences in demands to be met by contributors will also affect force interoperabilityand compliance with NATO standards.For Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the proximate problem has been to findpartners for a battle group formation and decide whether to create a new battlegroup or to join an existing one. At stake are both the capabilities they can offerand more subjective issues of compatibility. When looking for partners, asLatvia and Lithuania were doing in late 2004, it is important to ensure coordinationwith NATO, internal coherence, interoperability and a similar mentality.The limited ‘niche’ capabilities offered by each Baltic state must fit into thestructure of the battle group in question. The Baltic states are concerned that theprinciple of a ‘single set of forces’ might be ignored if the training and developmentof forces and the terms of availability are not coordinated over the longterm with NATO. Without proper coordination the bigger countries that canafford to have two sets of forces, one for NATO and another for the ESDP, willchoose this option. Some of these countries’ forces will thus be trained to meetthe specific needs of the ESDP and others the needs of NATO. At the sametime, forces from the smaller countries will need to be trained for both NATOand ESDP purposes, but they will never be adequately adapted to either ofthem.Transparency is another principle that is supposed to guide ESDP–NATOcooperation, in order to promote the coherent provision of forces to both. Situationsmay be envisaged where battle group forces which are also earmarkedfor the NATO Response Force are urgently required by both institutions, anddecisions on where to engage the forces must be coordinated between NATOand ESDP. It is precisely decision making that the Baltic states perceive as theEU’s Achilles heel. ‘It is very difficult to reach any agreement because it seemsmore important who is going to take orders from whom’, was a commentarising from Baltic frustration on the EU battle groups.Another problem is that of mentality: ‘Multinational forces look very good onpaper. But out there you need to cooperate, to understand each other. Our forcesneed to accept commanders from another nation.’ It is widely known that theLatvian forces in Iraq did not feel comfortable working under Polish command,and a separation into two different camps was the result. Military leadership by78 Interviews (note 1). The problem of follow-up standards and procedures is not limited to the ESDP;it is also frequently discussed within NATO.
BALTIC PERSPECTIVES 383the USA is by far Latvia’s preferred option: but the USA is not in the ESDP.Meanwhile, for Estonia, one benefit of the ESDP is the possibility ofre-entering military cooperation with Finland. Such cooperation was intensivein the first years of Estonia’s post-1991 independence, but it declined whenEstonia decided to join NATO. Working together with Finland is possible againin ESDP peacekeeping operations. Unlike the two other Baltic states, Estoniaseems not to doubt that it belongs with Finland and the other Nordic countries.The Swedish–Finnish battle group, however, is said to have a preference forSwedish speakers. The acceptance of Estonia’s participation in this battle groupconveyed by the Finnish Government in the very last days of 2004 was conditionalon Estonia’s ‘coming to terms’ with Sweden, the group’s lead nation. 79According to Estonian President Arnold Rüütel, defence cooperation betweenEstonia and Finland—which is continuing through the Nordic battle group—isworking well; and this is precisely because of the ESDP. 80 As of October 2005,Estonia’s contribution to the Nordic battle group is 25 personnel. 81Another nation high on the Baltic states’ list of priorities for military cooperationwithin the ESDP is Denmark. Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian officialschoose their words carefully in order to avoid expressing disappointment orimply political pressure, but Finland, Norway, Iceland and Denmark ‘are now abit backwards, after we have joined both the EU and NATO’. Although Denmarkis embedded in both NATO and EU structures, it is only able to take partin former NATO ESDP civilian missions. The Danish ‘handicap’, highlightedby the increasing takeover of missions by the ESDP, has made it necessary forEstonia to revise its long-term defence cooperation strategy. Although mostBaltic–Nordic military cooperation still takes place within NATO, the fact thatDenmark cannot participate in ESDP military actions is an obstacle to using theexperience of joint Danish–Baltic peacekeeping missions dating back to 1995.It was stressed in several interviews that ‘to have cooperation experience and toshare mentality is the key issue’. If this is true, then cooperation with Finland,Norway and Sweden, and perhaps one day also with Denmark, might ultimatelyrender the battle groups more attractive to the Baltic states.79 Defence Review (Baltic News Service), no. 50/2003 (15–21 Dec. 2004).80 Office of the President of the Republic of Estonia, ‘The President of the Republic met with theDefence Committee of the Finnish Eduskunta’, Press release, Kadriorg, 14 Oct. 2005, URL ; and Defence Review (Baltic News Service),no. 41/2004 (11–17 Oct. 2005).81 Estonia’s expected total contribution is 45 personnel. In addition to an approximately 30-strong protectionunit, Estonia will send staff officers, logisticians and medics to serve with the battle group. Swedenwill contribute an 1100-strong battalion, Finland 180–200 personnel and Norway c. 150 personnel. Memorandumof Understanding between the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Estonia and the Ministry ofDefence of the Republic of Finland and the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Norway and theGovernment of the Kingdom of Sweden Concerning the Principles for the Establishment and Operation ofa Multinational Battle Group to be Made Available to the European Union, 23 May 2005 ; and Estonian Ministry of Defence, ‘Estonia signed Memorandum ofUnderstanding on EU battle group’, Press release no. 36, 23 May 2005, URL . See also chapter 6 in this volume.
Page 1 and 2:
THE NORDICCOUNTRIES ANDTHE EUROPEAN
Page 3 and 4:
Alyson J. K. Bailes (United Kingdom
Page 5 and 6:
The Nordic Countries andthe Europea
Page 7 and 8:
The Nordic Countries andthe Europea
Page 9 and 10:
ContentsPrefacexiiAbbreviations and
Page 11 and 12:
CONTENTSII. The European security c
Page 13 and 14:
CONTENTSII. The small arms and ligh
Page 15 and 16:
CONTENTSII. Iceland and the emergen
Page 17:
PREFACEThe conference on the Nordic
Page 20 and 21:
2 THE NORDIC COUNTRIES AND THE ESDP
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24 and 25:
Page 26 and 27:
Page 28 and 29:
10 THE NORDIC COUNTRIES AND THE ESD
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 47 and 48:
Editor’s remarksGunilla HerolfPar
Page 49 and 50:
EDITOR’S REMARKS 31which the vari
Page 51 and 52:
EDITOR’S REMARKS 33mark as well s
Page 53 and 54:
EDITOR’S REMARKS 35The Europeaniz
Page 55 and 56:
1. Denmark and the European Securit
Page 57 and 58:
DENMARK AND THE ESDP 39European def
Page 59 and 60:
DENMARK AND THE ESDP 41safely leave
Page 61 and 62:
DENMARK AND THE ESDP 43motions to t
Page 63 and 64:
DENMARK AND THE ESDP 45effective
Page 65 and 66:
DENMARK AND THE ESDP 47connected an
Page 70 and 71:
52 INSTITUTIONAL AND NATIONAL POLIT
Page 72 and 73:
Page 74 and 75:
Page 76 and 77:
Page 78 and 79:
Page 80 and 81:
Page 82 and 83:
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
100 INSTITUTIONAL AND NATIONAL POLI
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 129:
Part IINational defence and Europea
Page 132 and 133:
114 THE BROADER DIMENSIONS OF SECUR
Page 134 and 135:
Page 137 and 138:
6. The impact of EU capability targ
Page 139 and 140:
CAPABILITY TARGETS AND OPERATIONAL
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143 and 144:
Page 145 and 146:
Page 147 and 148:
Page 149 and 150:
Page 151 and 152:
Page 153 and 154:
Page 155 and 156:
Page 157 and 158:
Page 159 and 160:
7. The impact of EU capability targ
Page 161 and 162:
THE CASE OF SWEDEN 143Government ha
Page 163 and 164:
THE CASE OF SWEDEN 145immediate reg
Page 165 and 166:
THE CASE OF SWEDEN 147SAF Headquart
Page 167 and 168:
THE CASE OF SWEDEN 149the navy will
Page 169 and 170:
‘NOT ONLY, BUT ALSO NORDIC’ 151
Page 171 and 172:
Page 173 and 174:
Page 175 and 176:
Page 177 and 178:
Page 179 and 180:
Page 181 and 182:
Page 183 and 184:
Page 185 and 186:
9. Hardware politics, ‘hard polit
Page 187 and 188:
HARDWARE POLITICS 169Sweden’s sec
Page 189 and 190:
HARDWARE POLITICS 171the exploitati
Page 191 and 192:
HARDWARE POLITICS 173share of Finla
Page 193 and 194:
HARDWARE POLITICS 175and procuremen
Page 195 and 196:
HARDWARE POLITICS 177of internation
Page 197 and 198:
HARDWARE POLITICS 179reluctant to a
Page 199 and 200:
HARDWARE POLITICS 181EU ambitions a
Page 201 and 202:
HARDWARE POLITICS 183Nordic armamen
Page 203 and 204:
10. The Nordic attitude to and role
Page 205 and 206:
DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATION 18
Page 207 and 208:
Page 209 and 210:
Page 211:
Part IIINordic handling of the broa
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
Page 228 and 229:
Page 230 and 231:
Page 232 and 233:
Page 234 and 235:
Page 236 and 237:
Page 238 and 239:
Page 240 and 241:
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
Page 246 and 247:
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
13. The Nordic countries and conven
Page 254 and 255:
Page 256 and 257:
Page 258 and 259:
Page 260 and 261:
Page 262 and 263:
Page 264 and 265:
Page 266 and 267:
Page 268 and 269:
Page 270 and 271:
14. Nordic nuclear non-proliferatio
Page 272 and 273:
Page 274 and 275:
Page 276 and 277:
Page 278 and 279:
Page 280 and 281:
Page 282 and 283:
Page 284 and 285:
Page 286 and 287:
Page 288 and 289:
Page 290 and 291:
Page 292 and 293:
Page 294 and 295:
Page 296 and 297:
Page 298 and 299:
Page 300 and 301:
Page 302 and 303:
Page 304 and 305:
Page 306 and 307:
16. Muddling through: how the EU is
Page 308 and 309:
Page 310 and 311:
Page 312 and 313:
Page 314 and 315:
Page 317:
Editor’s remarksAlyson J. K. Bail
Page 320 and 321:
302 THE NORDIC COUNTRIES, THEIR REG
Page 322 and 323:
Page 324 and 325:
Page 326 and 327:
Page 328 and 329:
Page 330 and 331:
Page 332 and 333:
Page 334 and 335:
Page 336 and 337:
Page 338 and 339:
Page 340 and 341:
Page 342 and 343:
Page 344 and 345:
Page 346 and 347:
20. Iceland and the European Securi
Page 348 and 349:
Page 350 and 351: 332 THE NORDIC COUNTRIES, THEIR REG
Page 374 and 375: 22. The Baltic states and security
Page 382 and 383: 23. Baltic perspectives on the Euro
Page 411 and 412: AppendixExtracts from the Treaty Es
Page 413 and 414: ments, to promote measures to satis
Page 415 and 416: (c) strengthening systematic cooper
Page 417 and 418: Article III-303The Union may conclu
Page 419 and 420: shall carry out its tasks in liaiso
Page 421 and 422: EU CONSTITUTIONAL TREATY 403enhance
Page 423 and 424: ABOUT THE AUTHORS 405ning, Det 21.
Page 425 and 426: ABOUT THE AUTHORS 407Karlis Neretni
Page 427 and 428: ABOUT THE AUTHORS 409her publicatio
Page 429 and 430: INDEX 411Atlanticism 364banking 357
Page 431 and 432: INDEX 413Kosovo and 45Left Socialis
Page 433 and 434: INDEX 415Counter-Terrorism Coordina
Page 435 and 436: attle group 154, 181Central Union o
Page 437 and 438: INDEX 419Iceland Defense Force 328,
Page 439 and 440: INDEX 421Washington Declaration (19
Page 441 and 442: INDEX 423NPT (Non-Proliferation Tre
Page 443 and 444: ESDP and 12, 16, 19, 24, 54-55, 59,
Page 445: INDEX 427Vienna Documents 236Viking
show all

The Nordic Countries and the European Security and Defence Policy

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?