Antonio Missiroli presented on the European Security Strategy in the Centre for Civil-Military Relations

Antonio Missiroli, director of studies in the Brussels-based European Policy Centre (EPC) presented a lecture on the European Security Strategy (ESS), observed six years later, in a changed international context. The issue has, however, served only as a point of departure for further discussion of EU’s role in the world today. Mr. Missiroli's lecture was organised within the educational project “School for European Security”.

Centre’s guest began by analysing threats to European security, after which he recognized “effective multilateralism” as EU’s mean of response to them. Missiroli said how the document does not represent a strategy proper, rather a foreign policy doctrine. He sees as positive the fact that document does not stipulate any deadlines. ESS makes far more than a “least common denominator” of European security, but is not “prescriptive”, as he put it. His next concern was the ongoing process of reviewing ESS, heavily influenced by the recent events in Georgia.

In the focus of this review process stands Iran. The debate on the “division of labour” between ESDP and NATO in multinational peace support operations is still on as well. Also, there is an ongoing effort to distinct state failure from state fragility, so as to emphasize the fact that countries aided by the EU have not „failed“, but are politically unstable to a point of great risk of failure.

The development of capacities in the field of defence has stalled: military component of ESDP has lost a lot of its significance, while it is the civil component becoming more prominent. Reasons for this are, first, civilian missions are financed by the European Commission, not member states alone, and second, the risk of coping with casualties in the aftermath stands significantly lower.

Finishing his presentation, Missiroli claimed how EU had lost with Czech presidency, everything it has won in the final months of Bush administration. Now Obama is expected to, after the financial stimulus, offer a “political one” as well.

Questions followed Missiroli’s presentation. Sonja Stojanović asked whether it is possible to expect a more coherent foreign policy of the EU. Then, she asked to which extent is Western Balkans „visible” in Brussels agenda. Missiroli emphasized how important it is to press on with establishing External Action Service that should become active in the first half of 2010. Still, he said how it is far more realistic to expect a sort of “case by case” coherence where one should realise that this is not only EU’s, but other actors fault as well.

Answering the question of Turkey’s eventual accession, he said how „there is little appetite in Brussels for that“, and that new approaches are being considered, where so-called “privileged partnership” stands as one of the alternatives to full membership (if such alternative is even conceivable).

The debate ensued, which concessions must EU make in order to counter so-called BRIC (Brazil, Russia, China, India) as countries becoming more assertive in international politics. Speaking on China, Missiroli believes how concessions should be sought for in the field of trade. As for Russia, it is difficult to imagine a single issue more divisive, regarding the points of view in European capitals.