Brussels, 4 June 2008
S194/08
I think the timing very important. December 2008 will be the fifth anniversary of the ESS. Hopefully by then the Lisbon Treaty will be ratified, thereby improving the coherence of our action. On the key threats, those identified in 2003 were the right ones. I think we can agree on that. Weapons of mass destruction (WMD), terrorism, organised crime, regional conflicts. They are still as relevant today. We have been very active in fighting them but we must continue.
The ESS was based on an analysis of the major global challenges as they stood in 2003. But today some of them are more relevant than others of five years ago and we also have new ones. Climate change and its effects on international security, and energy security were not contemplated in the strategy. The same applies to migration, illegal migration in particular, and information security. We have to take account of these developments.
Let me say a word about the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). It has been a success. It is an important, visible part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Over the past five years, we have deployed more than 15 missions - in fact 17. We now have 14 of them - civilian and military - currently deployed on three continents: Europe, Africa and the Middle East and Asia. This fact is recognized in the reports and I appreciate that.
Mr Kuhne's report also highlights some of the challenges and shortfalls we face in the ESDP. And rightly so. We are working on it. We are taking into account lessons learned from previous missions, we are adapting our structures – both on the civilian and on the military side. We are trying to make it more civilian-military – i.e. with a comprehensive approach.
The ESS was based on an analysis of the major global challenges as they stood in 2003. But today some of them are more relevant than others of five years ago and we also have new ones. Climate change and its effects on international security, and energy security were not contemplated in the strategy. The same applies to migration, illegal migration in particular, and information security. We have to take account of these developments.
Let me say a word about the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). It has been a success. It is an important, visible part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Over the past five years, we have deployed more than 15 missions - in fact 17. We now have 14 of them - civilian and military - currently deployed on three continents: Europe, Africa and the Middle East and Asia. This fact is recognized in the reports and I appreciate that.
Mr Kuhne's report also highlights some of the challenges and shortfalls we face in the ESDP. And rightly so. We are working on it. We are taking into account lessons learned from previous missions, we are adapting our structures – both on the civilian and on the military side. We are trying to make it more civilian-military – i.e. with a comprehensive approach.
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