CMC Speech to the Conference on EU-NATO Solidarity & Cooperation REV3 Speech: 30 mins. f/b Q&A: 30 mins. Monday, 16 Sept 2013 ( 1700-1830 ) Panel Speech/Remarks w/CEUMC, General Patrick de Rousiers THE CONTENT OF THIS SPEECH IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE; CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY. [Opening Remarks by Director General (DG) of the Royal High Institute for Defense; Moderator: Colonel Jean-Albert Legros (Director of Defence Studies)] Introduction. Thank you Colonel [Corinne] Faut (DG) for that introduction and the invitation to speak with my dear friend and fellow Chairman General de Rousier. Just being here in this forum side-by-side with Patrick symbolizes the important partnership we have with the European Union. I. The Present: The Importance of EU-NATO relations • The world is neither perfect, nor peaceful. • As stressed by the NATO SecGen “Europe’s security depends on efforts of both NATO and the European Union.” 1 • We can do much more together, than we can apart. • Look at the Kosovo Agreement earlier this year as an example of good NATO-EU Cooperation. Areas where it works from a Military Perspective: • Operations in Gulf Aden and Horn of Africa: o OP OCEAN SHIELD (not Berlin Plus) – Counter-Piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden – working closely with EU mission Operation ATALANTA to provide security in the waters surrounding the Horn of Africa. Headquartered jointly at MC Northwood, UK. o OP ATALANTA (not Berlin Plus) – one of two independent operations taking place in the same vicinity (Gulf of Aden, Horn of Africa-Indian Ocean) – primary mission, provide safe passage to World Food Program vessels – a maritime security mission focused on the security of a particular international organization. Secondary mission set is clearly pursuit of counter-piracy (January 2013 Joint Board of merchant vessel as an example of success) Areas where there is room to improve: • Operational response in Joint, Combined Operations, sometimes our signals are crossed. Kosovo… o Example: it has happened that NATO has become the de facto 1 st responder in Kosovo; and likewise, NATO’s efforts in the western Balkans very much depend upon EULEX Kosovo for building of the judicial leadership to develop a more robust judicial system. • Both organizations, NATO and the EU, as reflected in reciprocal briefings, are restricted and or limited by Bi-lateral differences amongst member states. • Ultimately, these Bi-Lateral issues are political in nature, yet they have a severe impact at the strategic-level. o However, at the operational level, leaders in both organizations work effectively to bridge this gap. And at the tactical level both organizations work hard to get the mission accomplished. 1 NATO SecGen monthly press conference. 6 May 2013.
o Example: EUPOL (EU Policing Mission)Afghanistan working with the NTM- Afghanistan and ISAF to exchange information on a regular basis. Regular informal staff-to-staff meetings between EEAS (European External Action Service) CPCC (Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability) and IMS/OPS MOBA. As one of the three major branches of the EEAS the CPCC plays a critical role in serving as the operational directorate of the EUPOL Afghanistan Mission. II. The Future: • NATO absolutely has a vital interest in European security, seeing as how 22 of 28 NATO Allies are members of the EU; and yes, 22 of our NATO MilReps are also dual-hated as EU MilReps. • From a NATO perspective, with the upcoming Post-2014 mission in Afghanistan changing and most of our major combat forces returning home, the Alliance is looking to transition from our current Operational Engagement focus to Operational Preparedness . o Example: As we prepare to transition our NATO forces from Afghanistan, exercises will play an increasingly important role. Many of you will remember how much we exercised in the distant past, this is coming to the fore once again. • From a NATO perspective, our Nations are facing the most difficult challenge since WW II – we have to find more effective ways of resourcing, financing, and effectively utilizing our forces. • In an Alliance of 28, adaptation and evolution equate to steering a cargo-container ship, the turns are big and slow – it takes time, it also costs money. Security is not free. And we can read on the internet or in the newspapers that all of our defence budgets are decreasing. What we need to face up to, is how to do more with “less”. • Smart Defence , it is a mindset. It requires political, military and industry acceptance. At one end the political will have to accept to balance sovereignty with availability. At the other end Alliance nations must accept to give priority to those capabilities which NATO needs most, specializing in the areas they do best, and looking at for multinational solutions to common problems. The Alliance “can act as intermediary, helping the nations to establish what they can do together at lower cost, more efficiently and with less risk.” 2 • This comes in Clusters of Facilitation. These clusters come in all shapes and sizes from small programs to big programs. They are multinational, projects that include packages to improve our surveillance, protection, refueling, and better training. This capability development will help us in meeting the challenges from uncertainty. By delivering them together, we will also mitigate the impact of decreasing budgets. This daunting effort; however by working together we will: push economies of scale, improve our operational readiness, and create a closer connection to our NATO forces – again with full spectrum operations in mind. • The Connected Forces Initiative is the concept to bring this emphasis on operational preparedness to reality so that we can perform these core tasks. The CFI will help to maintain NATO’s readiness and combat effectiveness through expanded education and training, increased exercises and the better use of technology. Spearheading this effort is the NATO Response Force (NRF). The NRF will become even more important following our ISAF engagement – providing a vehicle to test our operational readiness, interoperability and to also serve as ‘test bed” for NATO’s transformation. As we have done so many years ago, it will help to align our 2 NATO Homepage – Smart Defence at www.nato.int/cps/en/SID 2
doctrine and SOP. This line of effort will also reintroduce our forces multinational, joint, full spectrum, deployable exercises (FTXs, LIVEXs). It will also bring to the Alliance forces that are available and ready. • Future NATO-EU cooperation will have to closely consider Smart Defense and CFI. The future of EU-NATO relations and cooperation shall be defined by the political will – full STOP! Patrick thank you. Thank you Colonel Faut and Colonel Legros and to the audience for allowing me the opportunity to engage with you today. 3
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