Observatory on European defence, November 2013

IN THE SPOTLIGHT : NOVEMBER 25-26
EU COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS ON CSDP
Before the meeting of the European Council to be held on December 19-20th, the EU Council has issued some conclusions on EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The discussion focused on the Report issued by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, and on the Communication released by the Commission in July 2013. Despite the harsh economic crisis that has significantly undermined the development of new capabilities, security and defence sectors still play a pivotal role. In such a context, the CSDP is of paramount importance for the achievement of a comprehensive crisis management system. However, stronger political cooperation among Member States cannot be delayed anymore. Security and defence sectors have showed good performances in terms of innovation, economic growth and the creation of new jobs. During the meeting, the EU Council has also stressed the adoption of some measures dealing with different issues, from cyber defence to maritime security.

NOVEMBER 6
EU INCREASES ITS SUPPORT TO NIGER
EU has decided to further support Niger in four main sectors from 2014-2020: food security, social issues, infrastructural development and internal security. After the final approval by both EU Council and EU Parliament, EU will allocate € 542 million for the next seven years. EU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs has announced these new measures during a journey through Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad, accompanied by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

NOVEMBER 14
FINLAND JOINED THE MULTINATIONAL CYBER DEFENCE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT
The Multinational Cyber Defence Capability Development Board has unanimously accepted the entry of Finland in the “Multinational Cyber Defence Capability Development”. The Communication and Information Agency will support Helsinki through the process which will lead to the final signature of the Memorandum of Understanding. The project is based on the international cooperation among NATO members, aimed at developing and acquiring new domestic capabilities in the field of cyber security. Other eight countries have recently backed the project.

NOVEMBER 19-20
NEW INTERNAL STRUCTURE AND BUDGET FOR EDA IN 2014
By the first of January 2014, the EDA will have a new internal organization, based on three pillars: Cooperation Planning & Support; Capability, Armaments & Technology; European Synergies & Innovation. Moreover, the new EDA budget will be estimated at around € 30.5 million.

NOVEMBER 26
NATO LAUNCHED THE ANNUAL EXERCISE ON CYBER DEFENCE
NATO has officially launched the “Cyber Coalition 2013”, a three-days exercise which tests the Alliance’s capabilities to fight against cyber attacks. “Cyber attacks represent a serious threat, which is getting more and more complicated and sophisticated” stated Jamie Shea, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges. In this sense, “NATO must keep in touch with the evolution of these new threats, while the Cyber Coalition will allow testing our systems and procedures in order to effectively protect them both today and in the future”.