EN

COUCIL OF
THE EUROPEA UIO

Ministerial Declaration:
ESDP Ten Years – Challenges and Opportunities
2974th EXTERNAL RELATIONS Council meeting
Brussels, 17 November 2009

The Council adopted the following declaration:

"A decade ago, in the aftermath of the conflicts in the Western Balkans, the European Council took
the historic decision at its Summit in Cologne in June 1999 to establish the European Security and
Defence Policy (ESDP) as a part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, thereby
demonstrating a commitment to jointly enhance the European Union’s contribution to international
peace and security. This has enabled the European Union to become an ever more active, capable
and credible global actor, in line with the European Security Strategy (ESS), allowing it to combine
in a comprehensive approach crisis management capabilities with longer term assistance and
development policies.
The ESDP has steadily been developed and adapted to an increasingly complex global environment.
Along with the successive deployment of 22 ESDP missions and operations in three continents
across the full range of conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict peace-building
tasks, we have reformed our structures; elaborated and refined our planning capability; improved
our crisis management and rapid response capabilities; and increased our cooperation with key
partners and contributing Third States.
The development of the ESDP has, at the same time, highlighted the many challenges ahead. The
demand for the European Union’s actions in crisis management is steadily growing. We must
continue to strengthen our collective capacity to promote peace, security and stability in the world.
It is clear that these challenges cannot be met without adequate resources.

PRESS
Rue de la Loi 175

B – 1048 BRUSSELS

T el.: +32 ( 0)2 281 8239 / 6319

Fa x: +32 (0)2 281 8026

press.office@consilium.europa.eu http://www.consilium.europa.eu/Newsroom

1

E

EU decisions have to be based on a common and strategic analysis of the threats and risks facing us.
Based on the ESS, we need to take forward our common goals and strategic priorities, built around
our common values of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and
the rule of law in conformity with the principles of the UN Charter and international law. We, in the
EU, will develop our joint capacity to pursue policies which can enhance our own security as well
as the security of our neighbours and the wider world. To this end, we need to continue to move
forward in a number of key areas.
•

The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty will entail a new chapter in the history of the
EU’s common foreign, security and defence policy by further strengthening its
common institutional framework. The new post of a High Representative of the Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, assisted by the European External Action
Service (EEAS), will considerably increase effectiveness also in the field of ESDP. We
will now work towards ensuring a strong, effective and visible role for the first
incumbent of this office. We shall take concrete steps, as appropriate, to implement all
provisions and articles of the Lisbon Treaty relevant to CSDP.

•

We shall further improve the consistency in our external activities by strengthening our
early warning capacity and our capacity to plan and carry out coherent, comprehensive
and tailored policies for early action, crisis management and post-conflict development
in conflict-ridden areas. When establishing the EEAS, we will also enhance the
efficiency of the structures for the planning and conduct of our crisis management
missions and operations. The EEAS, under the direction of the High Representative of
the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will also assure closer links to other
European Union instruments and policies.

•

We will continue to improve our capacity to undertake effective missions and
operations across the entire spectrum of conflict prevention and crisis management
tasks in order to enable us to carry out more flexible, complex and robust missions and
operations, as well as to carry out several missions and operations simultaneously. We
will also improve the way we learn lessons from ongoing and past crisis management
missions and operations and exercises.

•

We will honour our commitment to provide the European Union with an effective
capability to respond rapidly to erupting crises. To this end, we will increase the
usability and the flexibility of the EU Battlegroups, in order to make full use of their
potential. New parameters for rapid civilian deployment will be established, including
the continued development of civilian response teams and the improvement of logistical
support.

•

We pledge to continue to improve our capacity to provide national and multinational
capabilities for the European Union’s missions and operations. The growth of ESDP
calls for increased availability of civilian and military personnel and equipment. To this
end, we will continue to explore further possibilities of the pooling and sharing of
resources, specialisation and warehousing. We will also continue to improve
effectiveness in the provision of personnel and equipment, continue to share best
practices, and further develop our common training and exercising activities.

2

E

•

We acknowledge that the CFSP budget should be adequate to serve our policy and to
respond to current and future challenges.

•

We will intensify our efforts regarding civil-military coordination. This will include the
enhancement of the civil-military aspects of the planning and conduct processes for new
and ongoing ESDP missions and operations, as well as promoting civil-military
synergies and dual-use when developing civilian and military capabilities. The Crisis
Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD) will have a key role, under political and
strategic guidance, in developing more coherent civilian and military strategic planning
for ESDP missions and operations. The CMPD will also foster and coordinate work on
synergies between civil and military EU capability development.

•

We shall continue to strive for more and better coherence in the development of
capabilities in support of ESDP. We shall, through the European Defence Agency and
competent Council bodies continue to develop our integrated approach to capability
development, in close cooperation with the Commission. We should further invest in
research and technology in the field of security and defence, and armaments cooperation shall be promoted. A well functioning defence equipment market - based on
fair and open competition, a level playing field and security of supply - is a crucial
component in strengthening the European Defence and Technological Industrial Base
and in the development of European military capabilities.

•

Possibilities for the use of the Permanent Structured Cooperation shall be explored in
order to enhance defence capabilities, with a view to strengthen the EU's ability to
respond to crises.

•

We shall maintain the momentum achieved in the integration of maritime surveillance,
including through the contribution of the ESDP aspects, and will explore opportunities
and synergies that can be achieved by the integrated approach to maritime affairs.

•

We will continue to improve and strengthen a human rights perspective in ESDP as well
as putting a focus on women, peace and security and the role of women as actors in the
international security agenda.

•

We shall, notably by establishing closer links between the European Security and
Defence Policy and the Policy on Freedom, Security and Justice, as appropriate, work
towards improving our ability to counter cross-border challenges such as trafficking in
human beings, drugs and goods, illegal migration and transnational organised crime.

•

We shall work towards developing further the EU's role in support of mediation and
dialogue processes in situations of instability and conflict.

3

E

•

We will intensify our cooperation with key partners. The effectiveness of our common
foreign, security and defence policy will benefit from strategic relationships with
partners and good cooperation on the ground. Local ownership is key to sustainable post
crisis stabilisation. To this end, we shall strengthen and deepen co-operation between
the European Union and the United Nations, NATO, the African Union and other
international and regional partners as well as our contacts with non-governmental
actors. We shall also pursue the dialogue and cooperation with Third States. Their
involvement in ESDP missions and operations strengthens partnerships and their further
contributions would be welcome.

The way we deal with these challenges and opportunities will determine our future capacity to
contribute collectively to conflict prevention, crisis management, and post-conflict peace-building.
Our common efforts in this endeavour are key to a more secure Europe and a more secure world.3

_________________

4

E