CIAO DATE: 03/05

European defence: A proposal for a White Paper: Report of an independent Task Force

European Union Institute for Security Studies

May 2004

Summary

The aim of this report is to assess European capabilities in the light of generic scenarios that the Union may face in the near future, to underline their deficiencies and to suggest the necessary reforms that the European Union should promote in order to enhance its capacity for autonomous action in the world arena. Based on strategic scenarios, this report points out military and security deficiencies in Europe's ability to respond to international challenges, threats and risks that are likely to arise in the coming years. It suggests that solutions in the field of defence to bridge current gaps can be found if members of the Union have the political and budgetary willingness to implement the necessary reforms. The costs of not doing so would be much greater in the long term than those of making the required adjustments in the short term.

Full text (PDF, 140 pages, 657.7 Kb)

Table of Contents

Preface, Nicole Gnesotto

Introduction

Part I: The international context

• The new world
  The rising threats: international terrorism and WMD proliferation
  The traditional threats and their new consequences

• The new Europe
  The enlarged Union and its environment
  The European Security Strategy

• The new America
  America's security strategy Consequences for the Union

Part II: ESDP so far

• The antecedents of ESDP: the quest for responsibility, the failure in Bosnia
  The tragedy of Bosnia
  The crisis of Kosovo

• From St-Malo to Copenhagen: the build-up of a European defence
  Institutional setting
  Operational development

• ESDP since 2003
  The 'Berlin-plus' agreement
  New developmens
  ESDP in operations

Part III: Strategic scenarios

• Scenario I: a large-scale peace support operation

• Scenario II: high-intensity humanitarian intervention

• Scenario III: regional warfare in the defence of strategic European interests

• Scenario IV: prevention of an attack involving WMD

• Scenario V: homeland defence

Part IV: A capacity for autonomous action

• EU deficiencies
  Finding 1 - Deployability and sustainability
  Finding 2 - Force packaging
  Finding 3 - Risks of casualties and collateral damage
  Finding 4 - Force transformation
  Finding 5 - Operational headquarters
  Finding 6 - Interoperability
  Finding 7 - Homeland defence
  Finding 8 - Strategic decision-making and crisis management

• Ways of correcting deficiencies
  a. Bottom-up specialisation
  b. Niche capabilities
  c. Co-financing of national capabilities
  d. Collective capabilities
  e. Top-down specialisation
  f. Standing nucleus force and permanent operation headquarters
  g. Preparing the future

Conclusion and recommendations

Annexes

The members of the Task Force
Abbreviations