EU INFORMAL DEFENSE MINISTERIAL APRIL 5-6

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001543

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/04/2014
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS BK EUN NATO USEU BRUSSELS
SUBJECT: EU INFORMAL DEFENSE MINISTERIAL APRIL 5-6


Classified By: USEU External Affairs Officer Andrew Erickson
for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) The EU Informal Defense Ministerial in Brussels on
April 5/6 endorsed and appeared to expand the concept of the
EU rapid reaction force, with Hirep Solana identifying as its
elements rapid EU institutional decision-making, a planning
cell, and battle groups. Solana explained that the purpose
of the battle groups was to provide the EU with "the means to
apply the European Security Strategy". On Bosnia, Defmins
discussed the way forward with NATO, and appeared to reach
informal consensus that the current way forward and division
of tasks (with PIFWCs continuing under current arrangements)
is acceptable to the EU. Following the informal, Solana on
April 7 approved the draft General Concept on Bosnia, which
can now be formally approved on April 15 by the PSC, and then
moved up the EU chain to COREPER and the Council, with final
approval likely April 23rd. END SUMMARY

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Capabilities the Key
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2. (U) Following April 5th discussions, Hirep Solana told
the press and invited diplomats that the first day's
discussions had focused on capabilities, and the EU's need to
"be ready to act quickly" in the event of a crisis. There
were different strands to this. One was the importance of
the new 2010 Headline Goal, intended to enhance EU
interoperability, deployability, and sustainability. "The
idea" guiding the EU, said Solana, "is to have the means to
apply the European Security Strategy". Solana said that the
focus needed to be giving the EU the means to respond to
several crises simultaneously. A skeptical press corps
pushed the Hirep hard on specifics, but Solana was reserved.

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Ministers Endorse the
Battle Group Concept
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3. (C) Irish Defmin Smith noted that the Franco-UK-German
Battle Groups concept had been favorably received by all EU
member countries at the ministerial, and could be seen as
having the informal endorsement of the group. According to a
Council Secretariat contact speaking on April 8, the Battle
Groups idea can now be seen to have the informal endorsement
of the member states, increasing the likelihood that it will
be formally folded into the 2010 Headline goal at the
appropriate political juncture.


4. (U) On April 5, Solana stated that the EU intends to have
its incipient planning cell functioning by the end of the
Irish Presidency in June, and the first battle group on line
by 2007. Solana remarked at the press conference that the
EU's ability to respond rapidly rests on three elements:
flexible decision-making, speedy planning, and a rapid
response capability such as Battle Groups. He was notably
imprecise about where the speedy planning would take place.
It should be noted that in his intervention Solana repeatedly
underscored the need to work in harmony with NATO.

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Bosnia Transition
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5. (C) We debriefed Council Secretariat working-level
officials on April 7 and 8 on the Bosnia transition. These
informed interlocutors, who attended the defense ministers
informal and who actually drafted the draft General Concept
for Bosnia, told us the following:
-- exchanges at the defense ministerial on Bosnia were
primarily focused on force generation, with Solana expressing
concerns that there would be shortfalls;
-- according to one official present, the meeting was
characterized by "lots of small countries offering up minor
contributions; Solana was clearly concerned that this was
inadequate;" and,
-- there was general consensus that the current state of
NATO-EU agreement on task delineation constitutes "a workable
starting point" but that there was a need for operational
commanders on the ground to eventually work out clearer
understandings.


6. (C) Following the defense ministerial, Hirep Solana on
April 7 approved the Council Secretariat's draft General
Concept. This document sets down the strategic parameters of
the security and stabilization tasks for the EU in Bosnia.
Solana's approval seems to reflect his comfort level with the
outcome of the discussion at the informal ministerial, and
clears the way for the draft to be presented to the Political
and Security Committee (PSC) on April 15, where if approved,
it would go on to COREPER on April 21 for clearance prior to
final approval by the Council on April 23. There are no
surprises in the concept, which accepts command and control
arrangements running from DSACEUR through AFSOUTH to the EU
OpCommander in Bosnia.

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Other issues: Defense Armaments
Agency, Military role for GWOT?
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7. (C) According to our Council contacts, another notable
issues were discussed at the informal ministerial. Following
a presentation by its British Head of the Agency
Establishment Team, Nick Whitney, there was an inconclusive
debate about what sort of entity the Defense Armaments and
Capabilities Agency would be. Would it be a proper agency
with a budget and a staff like the Commission, or would it
remain a secretariat with very limited resources like the
Council Secretariat? Clearly the debate was just beginning
on this issue, although it was a debate of some urgency,
given Solana's imperative to get the project operational by
the end of 2004. Finally, at the CHODs meeting on 7 April,
there was some discussion of the potential for an EU military
role (a "second pillar role") in the war on terrorism. This
conversation was spurred by the appointment of the new EU
anti-terrorism coordinator. It was extremely preliminary,
limited to traditional military tasks and consequence
management, we were told.

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Comment
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8. (C) The ever-cautious Solana's decision to push the draft
Bosnia General Concept forward to the PSC indicates that
Solana believes he is on solid ground with defense ministers
on the parameters of the EU's proposed Bosnia operation,
following the April 6 discussion with ministers. We
understand that there are no surprises in this document, as
it endorses a DSACEUR/AFSOUTH/EUFOR chain of command, and
accepts NATO and U.S. redlines.


9. (C) The informal endorsement of defense ministers of the
UK-French-German Battle Groups concept was expected. We
expect that the concept will be folded into the EU 2010
Headline Goal at the appropriate political opportunity, and
will become the basic "cost" to member states wishing to join
"structured cooperation" in the future -- if this element of
the Constitution is ever adopted.

Foster