SECURITY AND DEFENSE AGENDA HOSTS CONFERENCE ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 003249

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/ERA, EUR/RPM, AND S/CT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER EUN
SUBJECT: SECURITY AND DEFENSE AGENDA HOSTS CONFERENCE ON
"DEFINING A EUROPEAN SECURITY STRATEGY"



1. (U) Summary. Discussion at a high-level conference on
European security, October 18 in Brussels, focused on the
need for greater action to build "European level"
capabilities to confront complex, cross-border security
threats. Participants stressed the need to integrate
internal and external security strategies in order to
confront terrorism and other complex non-traditional threats
from both inside and outside the European Union. In a trend
toward further European integration that the new Reform
Treaty will intensify, a French government speaker announced
that France intends to introduce a new European Security
Strategy during its 2008 presidency. JHA Commissioner
Frattini highlighted a recurring theme in emphasizing the
need for a coherent, European approach that brings together
disparate responses to the threats of terrorism, organized
crime, weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts,
failed states, and illegal migration. Experts also noted
that the new Reform Treaty will break down many barriers to
integrating internal and external security strategies and
provide a stronger political process for developing a
unified, coherent approach. Although the U.S. was cited as
an indispensable partner in European efforts to address
global security threats, all signs point towards more
pressure for EU-based integration of Europe's security
architecture as the Reform Treaty is implemented. End
summary

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Keynote Address
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2. (SBU) Over three hundred people attended a Brussels
conference on "Defining a European Security Strategy,"
October 18. The annual conference was hosted by the Security
and Defense Agenda, a prominent Brussels-based forum for
examination of NATO-EU, and defense industry issues.
Representatives of many major U.S. companies attended the
seminar. European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom, and
Security, Franco Frattini delivered the keynote address.
Frattini identified terrorism, weapons of mass destruction,
regional conflicts, state failure, and organized crime as the
key threats facing the citizens of the EU. Frattini pressed
hard on the need to create a coherent approach to these
multi-faceted threats, while preserving basic rights.
Commissioner Frattini called for a broader security strategy
that recognizes the interdependence between internal and
external responses.


3. (SBU) The Commissioner argued that the U.S. and the EU
have the same goals, and called for close cooperation on
these threats. The Commissioner cited Afghanistan and the
Balkans as key theaters where U.S. - EU cooperation was
critical in tackling organized crime and instability before
they became internal security threats to our citizens.
Frattini announced that he would adopt an "ambitious"
counter-terrorism package in November that will cover actions
to be taken "in solidarity" at the European level. He called
for the EU's Member States to create new capabilities that
could be employed at the European level. U.S. Ambassador to
the EU C. Boyden Gray, speaking as a member of the expert
panel, pointed out that without the necessary resources and
political will, no security strategy will be able to deliver
results.

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New Capabilities for Non-Traditional Threats
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4. (SBU) The recurring themes throughout the conference were
the need to look across the range of security threats --
including terrorism, illegal migration, energy dependence,
critical infrastructure, failed states, climate change, and
organized crime, and to take effective action at the
"European level." Commissioner Frattini cited the European
Arrest Warrant, Europol, Eurojust, and Frontex, as examples
of evolving European responses to cross-border problems of
terrorism, uncontrolled migration, and organized crime. The
establishment of these European-level institutions is a
reflection of the fact that while few of the identified
threats are military in nature, there is a need to develop
the new combination of cross-border capabilities necessary to
respond to these non-traditional threats. The need to act
outside the borders of the EU in order to counter or
forestall internal threats was another major theme.

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New Security Strategy in 2008

BRUSSELS 00003249 002 OF 002


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5. (SBU) French Ambassador to the Political and Security
Committee (PSC) Christine Roger noted that the current
European Security Strategy was adopted in 2003. This
strategy was designed to respond to external threats, but it
also called for greater integration between internal and
external security strategies to address counter-terrorism and
organized crime. She pointed to the significant progress
made within the EU since ESDP's inception in 1998, citing the
creation of the Political and Security Committee, the
Military Committee, the Military Staff, the Situation Center,
and the European Defense Agency. She noted that the EU has
deployed 17 missions on three continents, although many
deficiencies remain. These shortfalls in communications,
intelligence, and transportation are being addressed in order
to increase the mobility of forces. France will present a
national White Paper on Defense in March 2008, and plans to
introduce a new EU security strategy during its Presidency in
the second half of 2008. Roger said that internal papers
have been written on the need to integrate the three pillars
of EU competencies so that the Commission's power to regulate
and act in internal justice and home affairs can reinforce
the Member States' efforts in external security. The
newly-negotiated Reform Treaty "Treaty of Lisbon") will
create a single figure who will have the authority to bring
together these roles in a coherent strategy.


6. (SBU) Comment: While the conference produced more
questions than answers, the discussion clearly reflected
calls for a greater role for Brussels in establishing and
integrating external and internal security policy across
Europe. Nearly every speaker, whether representing industry,
a national government, or independent think tank, called for
greater action at "the European level" in order to build new
capabilities to confront these complex cross-border threats.
Legislation, research and development, rationalization of
industry and markets, strategic policy development, and
cooperation with major partners will increasingly be driven
from Brussels. This trend will intensify as the new reform
treaty is put into effect, giving High Representative Solana,
or his successor, greater influence and resources with which
to identify and pursue European Union policy objectives. End
Comment.

GRAY
.