article for BDCol D. Majchrzak, G. Sobolewski

Assoc. Prof. Grzegorz Sobolewski

Dr Dariusz Majchrzak

National Defence University Warsaw

Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP)

Is the EU ready to take

action?

Speaking with one voice

We can observe that the European Union (EU) is seeking a way to consolidate

actions in order to speak with one voice about the international environment and the

European (territorial) security. History shows that the idea of integration with the purpose

of creating common possibilities for protection is nothing new. In 1950, a French politician

R. Pleven presented a project of European Defense Community (EDC), which assumed to

create a common security system, i.e. the European army. In August 1954, the

supranational project failed to gain support from the majority of the French National

Assembly.

In the early 90-ties, the Western European Union (WEU) decided to strengthen its

activities in the area of external policy and security. The main reason was provided by the

changing (rebuilding) world order and collapse of the bipolar balance of power between

the West and the East. The new processes have had great influence on the appearance of

new types of threats such as asymmetric conflicts, including terrorism, uncontrolled mass

destruction weapons proliferation, organized crime or unstable uncontrolled countries.

Redefining the role of NATO proved very important. It found its expression in Maastricht

Treaty of 1992, which was the act establishing the European Union (EU). The treaty

introduced Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), where all the EU states

expressed their will to reinforce national civil and military potentials to take action in the

future areas of possible crisis operations.

In the following years the EU developed possibilities to integrate foreign and security

policies of the member nations. In the early nineties, the EU requested of the WEU to

Deputy Dean of National Security Faculty of National Defence Academy.

Manager of Crisis Management Branch in State Security Institut NDU.

become its military arm in the security policy. It was the next step which realized the need

for new mechanisms of cooperation between the EU states in order to increase their role in

the European zone of safety as the substitution for the United States. In June 1992, at the

meeting of the WEU Council at the Petersberg Hotel near Bonn, Germany, the Member

States agreed to deploy their troops and resources from across the whole military spectrum

under the authority of the WEU. The so-called “Petersberg Tasks” declaration was signed,

which empowered military units to carry out a great range of military operations:

•

humanitarian and rescue tasks;

•

peacekeeping tasks;

•

tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peacemaking.

The Treaty of Amsterdam, signed in 1997, included “Petersberg Tasks” as a part of

the EU security policy. In addition, the document included articles declaring the protection

of common values, independence and integrity of the EU while fully respecting the UN

Charter.

In further integration of the security area, the EU decided to strengthen military

cooperation. The member states wanted to gain independent defense possibilities in an

attempt to build conditions for military dimension of the EU. This idea was discussed at

the EU Council in Cologne in June 1999, where the Member States decided that the EU

should be able to conduct military operations together or without NATO. There were also

created political and military structures, but the turning point in establishing the EU

security policy was the EU Council meeting held in Helsinki in December 1999, where the

European Headline Goal – EHG was adopted and a new element, the European Security

Defense Policy (ESDP) was introduced enabling the EU to take action of both political and

military nature on the grounds of the “Petersberg Tasks”. The political and military

structures were redefined (Political Security Council - PSC, Military Committee - MC,

European Union Military Staff - EUMS).

The Treaty of Nice, which was signed in 2001, introduced important changes to

ESDP. All the connections with WEU were eliminated, giving the EU the responsibility

for development of operational capabilities. The role of the Secretary-General of the EU

and High Representative of CFSP has been strengthened. The Treaty of Nice provides

greater possibilities for cooperation within the EU, but not in the military and defense

fields.

We could list much more initiatives in connection with ESDP. It will be enough to

mention the European Security Strategy of 2003 or Headline Goal of 2010 from 2004,

where the European Council decided to build capabilities in the area of crisis response

military operations, by building the EU battle groups. In recent years, the EU has been

moving towards further integration. It was introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, 2007

which

extended powers of the EU to take actions within foreign policy and Common Security

Defense Policy (CSDP) instead of ESDP. (Figure 1)

Figure 1 Develop of CSDP

Source: authors’ elaboration

The Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European

Community  was  signed  in  Lisbon  on  13  December  2007  by  representatives  of  27  Member  States.  As
provided  in  Article.  6  of  the  Treaty  of  Lisbon,  this  document  was  ratified  by  the  Member  States  in
accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. It was assumed that the Treaty enters into force
on  1  January  2009,  if  by  that  time  all  the  instruments  of  ratification  will  be  made.  The  procedure  of
ratification was protracted and was completed in November 2009. Thus, the Treaty entered into force on the
first day of the month that followed the last instrument of ratification.

The Lisbon Treaty

The most recent development in connection with the CFSP is the already

mentioned Lisbon Treaty. The document introduced profound changes in the

organizational structure and the pillar system concerning areas of activity as well as new

positions and services. Previously, there were three pillars constituting the EU:

Common areas – included most politics of the EU, where decisions were based

on the "Community method" - with the engagement of the European

Commission, European Parliament and Council of the European Union or the

European Council.

The European Security Defense Policy, where decision were made mostly by

the European Council.

Police and court cooperation in criminal matters – decisions were made by the

European Council as well.

The records of the current Lisbon Treaty, known as the Reform, gives the legal

personality to the European Union and introduces abolition of the pillars’ system, however

some distinct second and third pillars have been maintained, and significant of the

Common Foreign and Security Policy expanded. This is reflected in the establishment of

the position of the President of the European Council and also of High Representative for

Foreign and Security Policy. As a result of the Treaty, the European Union shall conduct

its activities in:

Matters solely related to the functioning of the Community: the movement of

goods and services, monetary policy in the Euro zone, the rules of competition,

international agreements, commercial and other economic functions.

Shared issues where the EU law is still paramount to the rights of member

states, and the matters not regulated by the Union remain in the competence of

Member States.

Matters within the exclusive competence of the Member States.

A new organization within CFSP, introduced by Lisbon Treaty, is the European External

Action Service, that supports the High Representative.

Taking into account the above content we could point that the essence of CSDP is

cooperation between the EU states under control of common EU institutions in order to

increase the role of EU in the European zone of safety by deploy troops and resources of

Member States to build conditions for political, military, inner and external reaction and to

prepare military structures to take action of both political and military nature.

The European safety

The European activity within safety areas can be described as a balance between four

factors:

Inertial dimension.

External dimension.

Military dimension.

Non-military dimension.

Let’s consider how the European system of security within CSDP works. All matters

are based on multinational agreement. A modern position of the EU demands to have

possibilities to respond in case of various threats. In the European Strategy of Security we

can find such threats as

−

terrorism;

−

proliferation of weapon of mass destruction;

−

regional conflicts;

−

state failure;

−

organized crime.

It is not a closed collection of phenomena which has bad influence on safety space in

Europe. It is collection of social and economical threats causing crisis situations. The

Member States must be ready to response against natural and technical threats as well, thus

it demands coherent activity of all the EU institutions beginning from the European

Council up to particular cell in the department of European Commission.

The assumptions of CSDP became the main base for the creation of a common EU

foreign policy. At its base, a common EU position on the international stage is created.

This is an essential subsystem of the security policy system, where all decisions are taken

in matters of security of the European Union including military action in the field of

emergency response.

In all areas of CSDP a cooperation between the Member States is required. The

institutions in CSDP include:

European Security Strategy, A secure Europe in a better world, Brussels, nr 15895/03, 8 December 2003,

−

The European Council (the Heads of State and the Government of Member

States);

−

The European Parliament;

−

The Council of the European Union (especially Foreign Affairs Council) at

the level of Foreign Ministries;

−

The European Commission with a leading role of the Secretary General and

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy;

−

The Political and Security Committee of Ambassadors (political directors);

−

The EU Military Committee;

−

The Military Staff (EU MS);

−

The Situation Centre (SITCEN).

−

The Civilian Crisis Management Committee;

The EU’s most significant body of decision makers on CSDP, is the European

Council. In practice, this is a meeting of heads of states and governments (presidents and /

or prime ministers) of all the EU countries with the European Commission President. The

European Council meets, in principle, two times a year to agree the overall EU policy and

to assess the progress of its implementation. Often the meetings are called "peaks". The

European Council in its competence affects the requests from the European Commission

and takes binding decisions by 'qualified majority', consensuses and unanimously,

especially in matters of CFSP police, as well as the judicial cooperation in criminal

matters, but each state has the right veto. This is the reason for main problems and

misunderstanding between the Members States. It is very difficult to find common interest

in foreign policy among states form different regions, and what is more significant, it is

extremely difficult to justify unpopular decision to public opinion in own country. The

European Council takes decisions in all the dimensions.

Within a few years, there have been attempts to improve the way decisions are made

within the framework of ESDP. The key decisions, however, still require an unanimous

vote, which was not easy since the time when the EU had 15 members,

and now when there are 27 is even more difficult. Despite the involvement of members of

governments of each state in ESDP, they sometimes find that a change in national policy in

the name of the EU solidarity is not easy. To see how difficult the task is sometimes, it is

enough to look at the deep divisions among the EU Member States that formed in spring

2003 against the approval of the UN Security Council led by the United States war in Iraq.

The Council of the European Union, formerly called the Council of Ministers,

includes the ministers of the governments of all the EU countries. The council meets

regularly to take detailed decisions and to adopt the EU law. Council’s main tasks include

enacting EU legislation, coordinating the broad economic policies of the EU Member

States, signing agreements between the EU and other countries, approving the annual EU

budget, developing the Foreign And Defense Policy and coordinating the cooperation

between courts and police forces of the Member States. The EU Council is a very

important body that deals with the matters of CFSP and CSDP. The special role in the area

of foreign policy and external dimension has the Foreign Affairs Council which replaced

the Council for General Affairs and External Relations (GAREC), and it is the meeting of

foreign ministers of the Members State.

The European Commission is the politically independent institution that represents

and promotes the interests of the European Union as a whole. It formulates draft

legislation, political projects, programs and is responsible for implementing the decisions

of Parliament and the Council. In the matter of security, the Commission is responsible

mainly for the inertial and external dimension of all activities of the EU. The

Commission's task is to represent and protect the interests of the whole Union. The

Commission oversees and implements the EU’s policies in particular areas by presenting

proposals for new legislation to Parliament, the Council, and the management of the EU’s

budget. It also allocates resources, enforces the EU’s law (together with the Court of

Justice), represents the EU internationally, for example by negotiating agreements

between the EU and other countries.

In addition, within the Commission there are the mechanisms located, which are

helpful and responsible for internal safety: the Instrument for Stability, Civil Protection

Mechanism and Financial Instrument for Civil Protection. On 15

November 2006, there

was established the so-called Instrument for Stability

which replaced the rapid reaction

mechanism (the external dimension). The instrument was established to allow the EU to

take organized action against crisis situation in foreign countries. This initiative gives

abilities to the EU to form long term strategies in the scope of external relationship. The

strategies take measures in the development of financial, economic and technical

cooperation with countries outside the EU, first of all in a crisis situation or the beginning

of a crisis situation - to restore properly the conditions for cooperation and implementation

Regulation (EC) No 1717/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 November 2006

establishing an Instrument for Stability.

of common regional politics. The second case is when the conditions are stabile. In that

case the EU builds potential to fight against the global and transregional threats

destabilizing international order and ensures the stabile condition before and after crisis

situation. The catalogue of tasks to define engagement of the EU is created within the

Instrument for Stability. The catalogue contains: help in a crisis situation; help in a stabile

conditions; extraordinary measures to intervene, and reaction programs.

The Civil Protection Mechanism was established on 19

December 1997

. The role

of the Mechanism is to increase the level of coordination within the European

Communities, the Member States and the European Commission through procedures and

organizational structures. The Mechanism is a typical project in the inertial dimension.

This cooperation allows the European Commission carrying out the tasks to protect the

environment and sustain social development. The Civil Protection Mechanism is a subject

to the Unit of Civil Protection (Civil Protection Unit, the CPU), which is a subject to the

Directorate General for the Environment.

To improve the coordination of civil protection, there was an action undertaken in

cases of natural disasters, technological, radiological contamination in the marine waters

and the effects of terrorist attacks that could have happened in the European Union and

beyond. On 8

November 2007, a new Mechanism Civil Protection formula was given.

Within this Mechanism, there has been created, among others, the Monitoring and

Information Centre (MIC) and the Common Emergency Communication and Information

System, CECIS.

The support element of both initiatives is the Financial Instrument for Civil

Protection, which gives public the protection by providing financial assistance. The

instrument was established on 5

March 2007 by the European Union at the request of the

European Commission, taking into account the European Parliament

. Its purpose is to

raise effectiveness of the European Union to respond in the event of an emergency

situation such as natural disasters and disasters caused by man, acts of terrorism, including

chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear terrorism, and technical disasters. The

instrument allows to improve all preventive and preparatory measures in case of any

emergency situation.

Council Decision 98/22/EC of 19 December 1997 establishing a Community action programme in the field

of civil protection.

Council Decision of 5 March 2007 establishing Civil Protection Financial Instrument, Official Journal L

071, 03/10/2007 P. 0009-0017. It covers the period from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013.

The European Parliament is the only Community institution that is elected in

general election. Depending on the population, the number of seats for each Member State

is predicted. The Members of Parliament sit in political groups rather than national.

Parliament directs the work of the President, who is elected by the plenary. The Parliament

meets in session mode, and the sessions last for a year. The European Parliament has three

main functions:

−

legislative (debates over the European law and adopts it together with the

Council);

−

budget (debates over the EU budget and adopts it with the Council);

−

control (supervises other EU institutions, in particular the Commission, to

ensure that they operate in a democratic way).

The first permanently functioning body of the ESDP is the Political and Security

Committee (PSC) established by the Council Decision of 22 January 2001, consisting of

ambassadors, permanent representatives of the Member States who meet two or three times

a week in Brussels. The Committee is responsible for monitoring the international

situation. It is a key element of the ESDP. In the event of a crisis, the PSC plays a decisive

role in the explicit expression of a coherent EU response and is responsible for political

oversight and decision-making at the strategic level about the use of troops. The

Committee in its activities provides, within the framework of ESDP, a platform for the

operation and cooperation of numerous EU institutions, NATO and non-EU countries. In

addition, the responsibilities of the Committee is to monitor the progress of the military

operation carried out by the militant groups and to exercise political control over the

compliance of the objectives in their operational activity and inform the Council about the

course of action. The Committee provides its activity in the external, military and non

military dimension.

The highest military body within the framework of ESDP is the EU Military

Committee (MC), which is composed of the Chiefs of Defense of the Member States,

represented by their military representatives. The Committee operates on the principle of

arrangements and agreements in the framework of the Political and Security Committee.

Its primary purpose is to make arrangements and coordinate the work of the military

among the EU countries, according to the direction set by the Standing Committee of

Safety, and to direct all military projects. In addition, the Military Committee sets the

directions of transformations in the activities of the military community. Moreover, the

Military Committee directs the military activities of the UE battle groups. The Military

Committee Chairman shall attend the EU council, where final decisions on the use of battle

groups are taken. MC functions in the military dimensions of safety politic.

Directly subordinate to the Military Committee is the EU Military Staff (EU MS),

which is responsible for the conduct of military expertise in the framework of ESDP. The

Staff in coordination with the Military Committee (as its subordinate body) evaluates the

current situation to establish urgently a mechanism for immediate response, strategic

planning within the framework of the “Petersberg Tasks”, including the possibility of

determining the national and international forces in accordance with the provisions of the

Military Committee. The Military Staff is involved in strategic planning concerning

quantity, location and time of use of the combat groups. EU MS is strictly engaged in the

military dimensions of safety politic.

The combined Situation Centre (SITCEN) plays a leading role in getting

information to the other EU institutions, especially those taking part in crisis management.

The Department of Analysis of the Situation Centre collects and provides intelligence

analysis from all sources. The classified intelligence reports are provided to the main

decision-makers of ESDP. The tasks in this area are strongly supported by the EU Satellite

Centre and the Intelligence Directorate of the EU Military Staff

. The analysis made by the

centre concerned the military and non military dimension.

The Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management is a body set by the

EU Council Decision of 22

May 2002. Its mission is: to analyze the situation crisis, and

prepare proposals on how to deal with a crisis situation through the means at the disposal

of the EU planning civilian operations in the CFSP. This authority shall forward the

Political Security options and proposals of capabilities for civilian use in EU-led

operations

The above-mentioned main institutions and organizations of CFSP have not

fulfilled all the list. Among these we can mention the European Defense Agency, which

provides research programs in the area of safety, or the Member States with own security

systems. Taking into account the definition of national defense system, as an internally

coordinated set of elements of organizational, human and material inter-related and up to

defend the state

, and also the definition given by the Dictionary of National Security - a

J. Gryz, Respond system of European Union, Toruń 2010, p. 101.

Ibidem, p. 98.

On the base

definition by

P. Sienkiewicz, Engineering of systems, Warsaw 1983, s. 27, “System - Every

complex object highlighted from the rest of reality, which is all created by a set of elementary objects
(elements) and links (relationships) between them”.

set of internally structured and interrelated elements, people, organizations, facilities,

working to preserve military security (military) of state

, one can conclude by analogy

that the European security system is the coordinated internally set of organizational

elements (states and organizations), human and material inter-related and up to

defend the European Union.

Between the elements that create a security system there should work such a

relationship, which will culminate in ensuring consistency of the entire system. Given the

above, please assume that the essence of the European security system are the individual

international and national elements, which exist in many subsystems, together with

links between them and the information center for decisions - IT (management

subsystem). This center is designed to direct the work of the whole system, and also

coordinate the activity of its individual components in order to prevent threats, the possible

fight in crisis situations and crises (Figure 2).

Figure 2 Crisis response system of EU

Source: authors’ elaboration

The military aspect of CFSP, as an expression of CSDP, are the battle groups of the

EU. What are this military elements? As it was mentioned, as a result of Headline Goal

B. Balcerowicz, J. Pawłowski, Dictionary of National Security, Warsaw 2002, p. 141.

2010, the EU decided to have possibilities to respond for crisis situation in practical

military way. The battle groups, in essence, are the combat units that have significant

military potential (from 1,500 to 2,500 soldiers). The core of these forces is a subdivision,

the potential of the battalion, reinforced by the units of support and security operations,

capable of rapid response in areas affected by the crisis at a considerable distance from the

borders of the EU, often in extreme environments, including desert, high mountains,

tropical conditions.

The European Union stipulates that the ability to make decisions about military

action in crisis management will be able to achieve within 5 days of the endorsement

concept of crisis management by the Political and Security Policy, and the ground forces

will be able to begin operation no later than 10 days from the date of the decision taken on

their use. This means that the battle groups should have the ability to achieve readiness and

develop their skills in a period of 5 to 10 days from the decision on their use. (Fig. 3). In

addition, the battle groups should be able to conduct independent operations for 120 days

with adequate security logistics

. They are provided for rapid response to emergency

situation anywhere on Earth (assumed to be 6.000 km from Brussels).

Fig. 3. Readiness to develop skills of the bat the group

Source: European Union Batlegroup Concept, p. 9

The battle group seems to be an answer for the contemporary threats. According to

author’s research

conducted in 2008, it is shown that asymmetric threat is most probably

to affect security of the EU. As most likely to happen, the risks associated with the global

economic crisis and terrorism have occurred (Figure 4). The respondents indicated these

two categories as the most significant problems to face for the European Union. The results

indicate the greater importance of economic risks. It is significant that all the threats can

Jan Joel Andersson, Armed and Ready? The EU Battlegroup concept and the Nordic Battlegroup, Swedish

Institute for European Policy Studies, March 2006, p. 23.

Research was conducted for dissertation work and before global financial crisis. The responders were

military specialists.

EU action

appropriate

Council Decision to

launch op

Forces start implementing

mission in JOA

NOT

FIXED

Approval

CMC

NLT 5 days

NLT 10 days

very easily turn into a military actions, because economy and finance issue are often the

reasons of the outbreak of conflicts and even wars.

Figure 4. Threats for the EU

Source: own researches.

For both civil and military environment, the modern asymmetric threats are the

challenge that influences the international security. This means that the possibility of

effective use of the troops will fulfill a key role not only in times of crisis, but also during

development of the situation before the crisis and after it.

In case of CSDP, in the decision making process concerning military action in the

framework of ESDP the primary role plays the European Council. This Board sets policy

directions of the Union authorized to take certain policy actions, and decides to take

military action or mission. The European Council meets regularly or ad hoc, creating the

basis for further implementation of administrative procedures. Such an ad hoc meeting was

convened on 1

September 2008, when the meeting of the European Council by the then

Presidency of the EU – France was held. The applicant convening this meeting was

Poland. The armed conflict in Russia and Georgia were then discussed. During the summit

it was decided to send observers to the conflict area.

The decisions of the European Council to take military actions were implemented by

the Council of the European Union. Its powers include making binding decisions in the

CFSP and ESDP, in line with the guidelines and the European Council decisions. The EU

Council takes the political control of all the EU military operations, and its activity is

supported by the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, which is

responsible for implementing policy decisions of the European Council and also plays a

central role in the EU’s foreign relations.

CSDP in the Libyan case

To see how CSDP works in practice, it is possible to consider action led by the EU

during Libya conflict, the so-called Libyan Uprising. In spring 2011, people in most of the

Arabic countries rose own rights to change state system, that was dominated by dictators,

who had ruled for many decades. All those events were called Arab spring, and its effects

are visible even today. The Libyan Uprising officially began on 17

February. Six months

and several days later, the rebels occupied the capital of the country. The Uprising was

directed against over 42-year regime of Muammar Gaddafi. The severest battles took place

in Misrata (east of Tripoli) and Zawija (west of Tripoli). These cities would often pass

from hand to hand. In the country there are thousands of mercenaries who were fighting

with the rebels, and even finished them off wounded in hospitals. According to Human

Rights Watch, since the outbreak of protests at least 223 people were killed. The fightings

were continued in another cities: Breg, Syrte (where Gaddafi came from), Ras Al-Nuf and

others.

On 17

of March, the UN Security Council adopted resolution nr 1973 on the closure

of the airspace over Libya. The resolution allowed to take "all necessary measures" to

protect the civilian population against attacks of the armed forces faithful to the Libyan

leader, Muammar Gaddafi. At the beginning, the UE strongly supported the resolution. The

European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and the EU Foreign Policy Chief

Catherine Ashton stated together that The European Union is ready to implement the

adopted UN Security Council Resolution on Libya. Ashton and Van Rompuy also

highlighted the important role of the Arab League and Arab partners. At this moment the

EU seems to be ready to speak with one voice within CSDP through the institutions

responsible for this.

Thus, the international community decided to undertake conversation about Libya. In

Paris, on 19th March began a summit of the EU (the European Council), with the Arab

League, the Organization of African Unity, as well as Canada and U.S. In an extraordinary

meeting, hosted by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, among others, the heads of the

Arab League and UN Secretary General, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the

representatives of Canada took part. The main topic of the summit concerned the problem

how to introduce the resolution nr 1973 of the UN Security Council. Most states decided to

take military action against Gaddafi regime to support rising forces. It was decided that

France and Great Britain would deal with air attacks, and the other NATO countries would

observe if the UN resolution no-fly zone was effective. It was fixed, that U.S. Navy and

Air Force would not participate in a first strike against Libya, but would participate in the

entire mission. It was a significant moment when the EU took the military action alone

with the battle group, under own command. According to “Petersberg Tasks”, the EU

battle group could be used to conduct peacekeeping tasks and tasks of combat forces in

crisis management, including peacemaking. Despite the lack of unity in terms of directing

military action among the Member States, all countries decided to fulfill the resolution of

the UN Security Council. Thus, on 19

of March the Odyssey Dawn operation was

launched led by some EU and coalition countries mainly by France, UK, Spain, Italy, US

and Canada. US, French and British planes bombed the military airfields and other

regime’s strategic points in Tripoli, Misra and Benghazi. Spain and Italy offered to make

available military bases. The "general headquarters of the coalition" of the countries

involved in this operation were placed in Naples. There were continued raids on the

regime’s strategic military points. The insurgents were fighting, among others of Misratę

and Adabiję. Unfortunately, it turned out very quickly that the Coalition had no organized

command and control system. Accept of Germany and Poland, Norway (as a non EU

country) suspended its participation in military operations in Libya. On 21

of March Italy

wanted NATO to took control over all military operation, taking into consideration its own

national business. Simultaneously, The European Union decided to extend sanctions

against Libya. The Council of the European Union (Foreign Affairs Council)

Community, entered in the "black list" nine Libyan oil and gas companies. Furthermore,

the financial assets of those companies have been frozen in the European banks. The

European Union underlined that the Community does not intend to engage militarily in

Libya. It offers assistance in the evacuation of refugees and humanitarian support.

On 24

of March, during the Meeting of North Atlantic Council (NAC) it was

decided that NATO, despite earlier opposition of Turkey, would take on the responsibility

for enforcing the flight ban on Libya and for the defense of civilians against the forces of

the regime of Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

It was the end of military action led by the EU countries, which were able to establish

Coalition. It turned out that the EU had no operational capabilities to take control on such

complicated military action. It must be said, that the EU could show unity on political level

with the idea to support insurgents, but it was absolutely impossible to gain consensus in

military aspect of CSDP. The EU seems to be ready to be an effective player on

international area; to develop own possibilities to have common opinion about

international issue; take part in military operations as a part of multinational community,

especially in cooperation with NATO and US. But as example shows, the reality is giving

plenty of doubts in area of efficiency of own actions. A very complicated decision making

process, which demands consensus among the Member States’ authorities, and quite

different national interest puts question marks in the subject of the EU’s common voice. It

was especially seen during the Libyan conflict, which was an opportunity to take common

military and political action as a one coherent body. In this context, the next questions is

what is the future of CSDP and integration of the EU in the area of foreign policy, and

what should be the next step to increase security in Europe?

SUMMARY

Security of the European Union in terms of possible emergencies and crises is based

on the security of the Member States. Nowadays threats to individual states have the

character that fit the problems of crisis response (response to terrorism, impact and

influence of unstable regional powers, local ethnic clashes or conflicts over natural

resources). Now, the open conflict, which can be transformed in a conventional warfare is

highly unlikely and highly improbable to turn into Great War. The present international

order - both globally and in the European dimension - although regarded as a transitional

governance is posing a relatively high level of security.

In the recent years, the European Union is trying increasingly not only to integrate its

voice on the international stage, but also to formulate a foreign policy, and to hold a

common position. This is not a process that takes place without interference. Individual

countries, in many aspects of self-interest, often submit to the Community. This

phenomenon is understandable, and it seems impossible to be eliminated completely. It

also weakens the Union as a single entity in the international arena. These threats make it

necessary to provide common defense mechanisms. The response to the demand for the

security of the Union is the adoption and implementation of the Common Security and

Defense Policy (the European Security and Defense Policy - ESDP), which is a platform

for the implementation of joint projects that integrate the Union on the international stage,