#EUDefense2018: Transatlantic Partners Draw Strength from Unity
Transatlantic partners should remain united and focused on the common security threats they’re facing, including attempts by authoritarian regimes to undermine the international rules-based system. EU efforts to strengthen its defense and its enhanced cooperation with NATO are a significant and welcome contribution to a stronger transatlantic defense community. That’s the main takeaway from the EU’s Security and Defense Washington Symposium, organized by the European Union and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on June 13, 2018 (watch here).
Transatlantic cooperation on defense ahead of the July 2018 NATO Summit
“Our responsibility from a Department of Defense standpoint is to keep that focus on security challenges. We draw our strength from our cooperative relationship and our unity” said Thomas Harvey III, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities.
Harvey also praised the “enhanced and thriving cooperation between the EU and NATO”, giving credit to the “enlightened leadership of EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.” This is “a positive-sum game for both organizations.”
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate, spoke along similar lines, saying that “the U.S. should work closely with the EU on common security threats” and that “the U.S. remains a reliable partner in terms of mutual defense.”
Quoting U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Thomas Goffus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO, said that “nations with allies thrive, and nations without allies wither.” He added that “cooperation between the EU and the U.S. is an urgent matter,” and mentioned the success of actions taken at the EU level, in partnership with NATO, in the field of military mobility.
European speakers also praised the state of EU-NATO cooperation. “The EU has established a real process of engagement with NATO; we’re working on an ambitious set of 74 joint actions”, said Pedro Serrano, Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) for the Common Security and Defence Policy.
A Stronger EU Defense in the making
Speakers from the European Union (EU institutions and its Member States) highlighted the major initiatives taken in recent months to strengthen EU Defense, including the creation of a Permanent Structured Cooperation for Security and Defense (PESCO), the European Defense Fund and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defense (CARD).
“We’ve made a long journey in a very short time,” stressed H.E. José Alberto de Azeredo Lopes, Portuguese Minister of National Defense. He quoted Federica Mogherini, saying that “more has been done in the past 2 years to advance EU Defense than in the decades prior.” He also reassured the audience that EU Defense goes far beyond processes and mechanisms, and Portugal itself is heavily involved in multiple ongoing EU missions and operations across the globe, particularly when it comes to maritime operations and missions in Africa. Portugal, for instance, currently leads the EU Training Mission in the Central African Republic.
Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), said that 2018 would be the year of implementation. The EDA will play a leading role in the annual review of Member states’ capabilities (CARD) that will assess the major shortfalls that need to be addressed and ensure “a more coherent pool of forces in Europe.” He added, “this effort is capability-driven and the European Defence Fund will also strengthen the defense industrial base in Europe.” Those capabilities will serve both the EU and NATO.
Jonatan Vseviov, Permanent Secretary at the Estonian Ministry of defense, said that current EU efforts to foster military mobility were “crucial for NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, and this is an area where NATO can do little, while the EU has the experience to manage infrastructures and handle regulations.” Vseviov also said that exercises at both a strategic and technical level were important, and the Estonian presidency of the Council actually organized a cyber exercise at ministerial level in 2017, with NATO’s Secretary General.
Close partners on the ground
Several speakers highlighted the good cooperation on the ground between U.S., European and UN forces, whose missions are “mutually-reinforcing” (Goffus). A particular emphasis was placed on our joint work in the Sahel region (watch this short video on EU missions in the Sahel).
H.E. Pedro Morenés, Spanish Ambassador to the U.S., said that “our common work is a message to anyone who is doubting our security alliances.” Major General Christopher E. Craige from U.S. AFRICOM said that the EU had an officer embedded in U.S. AFRICOM, and the other way around as well.
Alice Hunt, from CSIS, said that “EU missions in the Sahel complement beautifully what the U.S. has been doing in the region as well — training, logistics, capacity building.”
Major General Craige also emphasized that the defense dimension was only one aspect of the “3D” approach (Diplomacy, Development and Defense) adopted by the U.S. to tackle security challenges in the region — echoing the EU’s own integrated approach.
Cyber threats and security challenges in the Black Sea region
The event ended with a simulated scenario exercise of Russian hybrid activity in southern Europe and the Black Sea region, where panelists and the audience were invited to suggest national, European and a transatlantic response. This panel included HE George Cristian Maior, Ambassador of Romania to the United States (a country bordering the Black Sea) and Frank J. Cilluffo, Associate Vice President & Director of the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at the George Washington University.
Ambassador Maior stressed Romania’s preparedness when it comes to cyber threats, and highlighted the strong work done by the EU and NATO (acting in partnership) on this matter. He welcomed the “recognition of cyber space as an operational domain” by NATO.
Ambassador Maior also warned against the increasing security challenges in the Black Sea region, “especially after the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia — Crimea has been heavily militarized and there’s an increase in the operational readiness of the Russian naval bases in the Black Sea”.
Cilluffo praised the operational work of agencies like Europol to tackle cyber attacks and highlighted the increasing contribution of private actors.
Media coverage and other useful links:
- Full video of the EU’s Security and Defense Washington Symposium
- European External Action Service (EEAS) webpage on recent developments in EU Defense and EU-NATO cooperation, with useful materials such as a map of current EU missions and operations, infographics, fact-sheets, videos and links to recent press releases. A day ahead of the July 2018 NATO Summit which took place a few weeks after this symposium took place, the EU and NATO adopted a new Joint Declaration which you can find here.
- Interviews by the Defense and Aerospace Report at the Symposium: with the Portuguese Defense Minister of Defense Pedro Alberto de Azeredo Lopes, the EU Ambassador to the U.S. David O’Sullivan, the Deputy Secretary General of the EEAS for Common Security and Defence Policy Pedro Serrano, the Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency Jorge Domecq, and Major General Craige from U.S. AFRICOM
- Defense News video interview with Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, on the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), titled “EU’s European Defence Agency discusses American reaction to PESCO initiative”
- Defense News video interview with Jorge Domecq on “Will the EU and the Pentagon Collaborate on New Tech?”
- Defense News video interview of Pedro Serrano, titled “How Can Washington Help with European Defense?”
- Defense News written interview with Jorge Domecq titled “4 questions with the European Defence Agency chief”
- Defense News written interview with José Alberto de Azeredo Lopes, titled “Portugal’s defense minister targets NATO defense spending goals”
- Defense News article on talks on military mobility at the Symposium
- TARGET USA podcast recorded by JJ Green, National Security Correspondent at WTOP, titled “EU military officials warn Russia to stop its aggressive behavior” (with Minister de Azeredo Lopes, Pedro Serrano and Jorge Domecq)
- WTOP interview (The Hunt) with Minister de Azeredo Lopes
- EU NOW Podcast on EU Defense and EU-NATO cooperation with José Alberto de Azeredo Lopes, Portuguese Minister of Defense
- EU NOW Podcast on defense capabilities in Europe with Jorge Domecq, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency
- EU NOW Podcast recorded ahead of the Symposium with Heather Conley, Vice President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
