Civil-military Coordination in the Common Security and ... - ETC Graz
Civil-military Coordination in the Common Security and ... - ETC Graz
Civil-military Coordination in the Common Security and ... - ETC Graz
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<strong>Civil</strong>-<strong>military</strong> <strong>Coord<strong>in</strong>ation</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Common</strong> <strong>Security</strong> <strong>and</strong> Defence Policy of <strong>the</strong> European Union<br />
<strong>in</strong> 2006 for <strong>the</strong> first time made concrete proposals how to ensure coord<strong>in</strong>ation not<br />
only on <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutional level, but also <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> field. 13 The paper underl<strong>in</strong>es <strong>the</strong> need<br />
for a clear strategy <strong>and</strong> precisely def<strong>in</strong>ed goals for all EU actors on <strong>the</strong> ground <strong>and</strong><br />
emphasizes <strong>the</strong> need for a common underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> overall aims of <strong>the</strong> EU’s<br />
engagement. Moreover, that paper makes suggestions for <strong>the</strong> improvement of<br />
logistics, <strong>and</strong> addresses issues related to <strong>the</strong> co-location of headquarters <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
central role of <strong>the</strong> EU Special Representatives (EUSR) for CMCO <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> field.<br />
The latest conceptual paper on CMCO outl<strong>in</strong>es possible solutions for <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
shar<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> stresses that on <strong>the</strong> long run a situation should be achieved <strong>in</strong> which EU<br />
crisis management is regarded as a jo<strong>in</strong>t effort by civilian <strong>and</strong> <strong>military</strong> means, which<br />
should be able to share <strong>in</strong>formation through established <strong>in</strong>formation networks. 14<br />
At this po<strong>in</strong>t, it should also be briefly mentioned that efforts for <strong>Civil</strong>-<strong>military</strong><br />
Cooperation (CIMIC) are also embedded <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> EU’s concept for CMCO. However,<br />
<strong>the</strong>re is a fundamental difference between CMCO <strong>and</strong> CIMIC. CIMIC is about <strong>the</strong><br />
coord<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>and</strong> cooperation at all levels – “between <strong>military</strong> components of EU-led<br />
<strong>military</strong> operations <strong>and</strong> civil actors external to <strong>the</strong> EU, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> local population<br />
<strong>and</strong> authorities, as well as <strong>in</strong>ternational, national <strong>and</strong> nongovernmental organisations<br />
<strong>and</strong> agencies - <strong>in</strong> support of <strong>the</strong> achievement of <strong>the</strong> <strong>military</strong> mission along with all<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>military</strong> functions.” 15 It should suffice here to briefly po<strong>in</strong>t out that <strong>in</strong> 2008 <strong>the</strong><br />
Council of <strong>the</strong> EU adopted a revised CIMIC concept establish<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>and</strong><br />
framework for <strong>the</strong> plann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> execution of all CIMIC activities <strong>and</strong> outl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
guid<strong>in</strong>g pr<strong>in</strong>ciples for CIMIC. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to that document, <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> CIMIC functions<br />
are civil-<strong>military</strong> liaison, support to <strong>the</strong> civilian environment <strong>and</strong> support to <strong>the</strong> <strong>military</strong><br />
force. 16<br />
Thus, on a conceptual level <strong>the</strong> EU developed a detailed underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g of how<br />
civilian <strong>and</strong> <strong>military</strong> tools of <strong>the</strong> CSDP should be coord<strong>in</strong>ated. The progress made <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> development of <strong>the</strong> CMCO concept also had an <strong>in</strong>fluence on o<strong>the</strong>r EU concepts<br />
for crisis management. Most importantly, <strong>the</strong> relevance of CMCO was acknowledged<br />
13 Council of <strong>the</strong> European Union, <strong>Civil</strong>-Military Co-ord<strong>in</strong>ation: Framework paper of possible<br />
solutions for <strong>the</strong> management of EU Crisis Management Operations, Doc. 8926/06,<br />
Brussels, 2 May 2006.<br />
14 Council of <strong>the</strong> European Union, <strong>Civil</strong>-Military Co-ord<strong>in</strong>ation (CMCO): Possible solutions<br />
for <strong>the</strong> management of EU Crisis Management Operations - Improv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
shar<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> support of EU crisis management operations, Doc. 13218/5/06 REV 5,<br />
Brussels, 31 October 2006.<br />
15 Council of <strong>the</strong> European Union, EU Concept for <strong>Civil</strong>-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) for<br />
EU-led Military Operations, Doc. 11716/08 REV 1, Brussels, 3 February 2009, para. 15,<br />
(emphasis added by <strong>the</strong> author).<br />
16 Council of <strong>the</strong> European Union, <strong>Civil</strong>-<strong>military</strong> co-operation (CIMIC) concept for EU-led<br />
crisis management operations, Doc. 11716/08 REV 1, para. 16. An earlier version is also<br />
available: Council of <strong>the</strong> European Union, <strong>Civil</strong>-<strong>military</strong> co-operation (CIMIC) concept for<br />
EU-led crisis management operations, Doc. 7106/02, Brussels, 18 March 2002. Through<br />
CIMIC reconstruction activities, adm<strong>in</strong>istrative support <strong>and</strong> humanitarian aid performed by<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>military</strong> should help to stabilize <strong>the</strong> country or region through <strong>the</strong>ir effects on <strong>the</strong><br />
economic, social <strong>and</strong> political sector.<br />
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