Treść wystąpienia Krzysztofa Liska na konferencji "Aktualny stan Wspólnej Polityki...

7/29/2019 Tre wystpienia Krzysztofa Liska na konferencji "Aktualny stan Wsplnej Polityki Bezpieczestwa i Obrony. Wyz

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Recent initiatives of European actors regarding the future of CSDP and defence

industry

Dear Sirs,

I would like to thank you for the invitation, I am honored to be part of this panel and

address such as important issues as the future of CSDP and defense industry.

The subject is being studied for many years with the significant increase of interest in

recent times.

Currently the discussion in the Parliament will be more focused on the coming

Council meeting in December of 2013. There were several interesting reports prepared by the

EP that concerns the the future of CSDP and defence industry. Just to mentioned the Horizon

2020 package (consisting of 6 reports) in progress or Danjean Report on the implementation

of the Common Security and Defence Policy (based on the Annual Report from the Council to

the European Parliament on the Common Foreign and Security Policy) voted in plenary on 22

November 2012. The report on the impact of the financial crisis on the defence sector in the

EU Member States, adopted in December 2012, that I was responsible for also addresses

many subjects related to the the future of CSDP and defence industry.

As stated in my report Europe has difficulties with effective and cost efficient

spending of EUR 200 billions a year that they allocate to defence budget. Most of these funds

are spent, based on uncoordinated national defence planning decisions, which results not only

in persistent capability gaps, but often also in wasteful overcapacities and duplications, as

well as fragmented industry and markets, which leads to the EU not having either the

visibility, resources or reach.

Respectively, the problem is addressed also in Danjean Report:

(..) in terms of absolute value, spending in the combined European defence budgets of

all Member States compares favourably with that of the major emerging powers and that the

problem is thus less a budgetary than a political one, ranging from the definition of a

European industrial and technological base to the pooling of certain operational capabilities;

points out that EU-wide consortia, joint initiatives and proposals for mergers of European

businesses could contribute to the development of a European defence industry.

The same document supports the idea from my report that Pooling and Sharing shall

be strongly promoted within the development of the military capabilities of the Member

States.


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In both of them there is a recognition for the initial progress made by the EUs

pooling and sharing initiative the work of the EDA, which has identified 11 priority areas

for action; stresses in particular the progress achieved in four areas: air-to-air refuelling,

maritime surveillance, medical support and training; calls, however, for this initiative to be

provided with a strategic framework.

It is highlighted that the Member States, ahead of the European Council on defence

issues scheduled for next year, must take stock of existing capabilities within the EU and to

make the initiative ultimately sustainable in order to start a European defence planning

process.

With that respect, the EDAs proposal to develop a voluntary code of conduct on

pooling and sharing in order to facilitate cooperation between Member States in the

acquisition, use and shared management of military capabilities is very important.

Another important step is the agreement signed on 27 July 2012 between the European

Defence Agency and the OCCAR, which will allow the institutionalization of the relationship

between the two agencies, the establishment of more integrated cooperation in respect of

military capability development programmes, and exchanges of classified information.

At the same time there is still a lot to do we shall cooperate more - there are in

Europe currently two rival MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) drone projects. The

Franco-British cooperation over UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles) would be much

more beneficial to EU if it would be open to other European partners. A good example of

successful pooling and sharing that we all know is the establishment of the European Air

Transport Command (EATC).

We do hope that Commission, the Council, the Member States and the EDA will

consider the adoption of innovative solutions for increasing the EUs projection capabilities,

particularly as part of a twin-track approach: a public-private partnership in the field of air

transport, built around a small fleet of A400Ms, would allow both the delivery of

humanitarian aid for disaster relief and the transport of equipment and personnel as part of

CSDP missions and operations.

The focus on building-up of European capabilities should also result in the

consolidation of the industrial and technological base of Europes defence industry; recalls, in

this connection, the importance of the principle of European preference and the relevance of a

European Buying Act.

We cannot allow that financial and budgetary crisis facing the EU and its Member

States causes a loss of expertise and disappearance of a highly specialized industrial plants


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and research centers. Therefore we shall introduce a major programme at European level on a

bilateral or multilateral basis. We shall make sure that all the companies including medium

and small -sized European companies in the defence industry will take part in the projects.

One of the interesting initiatives is a Commissions proposal under Horizon 2020 for

future EU-financed civil-military research and procurement in support of CSDP missions. At

the same time it is extremely important to realize that the reduction in the appropriations

allocated to research and technology in the long term will affect the ability of Europeans to

maintain a credible defence capability relying on the whole range of armaments and military

equipment.

Member States have to remember of their commitment to increase the allocation for

defence-related research and technology to at least 2% of the defence budget. It will have

broader impact since the investment in research and defence technologies has had important

results with civilian applications.

Recent initiatives and projects relating to cyber defence would be an interesting field

to be explored by Member States engaging even more closely with the EDA in developing

defence capabilities, notably of a cyber nature, especially with a view to trust-building and

pooling and sharing. I personally was very content to see that cyber defence will be one of the

EDAs priorities in the area of defence research and technology.

The EDAs efforts to maintain a European Defence Technological and Industrial Base

(EDTIB) and the Barnier / Tajani initiative to create a task force within the Commission is a

great initiative.The task force will be responsible for preserving and developing this strategic

tool, whose function is to ensure the autonomy of the EU and its Member States in the field of

defence. This important issue With the respect to aforementioned it is absolutely necessary for

Commission to keep Parliament informed of the task forces ongoing work and to involve

European Parliament in future.

Further full implementation of the Defence Procurement Directive (2009/81/EC) by

the Member States in order to achieve greater interoperability of equipment and to combat

market fragmentation, which often benefits third countries is a must.

Another important step was the issuance of the Commissions industrial policy

communication of 10 October 2012 entitled A Stronger European Industry for Growth and

Economic Recovery, which acknowledges that the defence sector suffers from a strongly

national dimension and announces the development of a comprehensive strategy for

supporting the competitiveness of the defence industry;


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I would like to stress the relevance of the capability development plan drawn up by the

EDA I do hope that the Member States will better integrate it into their national planning and

to be more willing to buy into EDA projects.

The Council and the Member States should further support those of the Unions

capabilities that could lead to cost savings through pooling, in particular the EDA, the EU

Satellite Centre and the European Security and Defence College.

EDA being responsible for all the tasks assigned to it by the Lisbon Treaty shall be

provided by the Council and the Member States with adequate funds and qualified staff so

that it is able to perform. I am of opinion that this must be taken into account in the context of

the next multiannual financial framework.

With the respect to aforementioned I would like to address in particular few initiatives

undertaken by EDA .

EDA has undertaken sectoral reports (Future Air, Land and Naval Systems and

Ammunition) which indicate the danger of erosion of key European industrial capabilities,

loss of skills and know-how and provide action plans and priorities to retain key industrial

capabilities.

The causes are well known; downward pressure on budgets, inefficiencies over how

we use what funds we have, lack of R&T and sustainable programmes going forward.

In each of EDA Key Industrial Capabilities work strands (air, land, naval and

ammunition), supply chain and subcontracting issues we ensure that there is a focus on

stimulating SMEs access to the defence industrial market.

There has been a gradual increase in the role of SMEs in the defence supply chain,

emphasising the importance of Centres of Excellence. More needs to be done to improve

SMEs access to defence market, information and clustering/partnering of companies.

EDA launched an exploratory study on European defence-related Centres of

Excellence, to identify them and understand their general role and potential in the EDTIB.

The report of the study was delivered recently and will be discussed with Member

States shortly. This study ties into the work being undertaken jointly by the Commission and

EDA into Smart Specialisation which is this about value for money: smart R&D investment in

a context of scarce resources. It is an approach to policy that considers whether those

activities already strong or showing promise for a region can benefit from R&D and

innovation. The aim is to focus on certain domains by developing distinctive and original

areas of specialisation.


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The aforementioned concept will be introduced to European defence companies at the

Smart Specialisation workshop 28 January 2013. This workshop is part of ongoing work

between EDA and the EC to improve information on and access to, European Structural

Funds (ESF). Making best possible use of existing resources in Europe as defence budgets are

shrinking.

EDA is undertaking a study on The Economic Case for Investing in Europes

Defence Industry with the final report being delivered in May/June 2013. The objective is

to examine the impact of investment in Europes defence industry; the extent to which it

provides positive economic impacts for Europes economy, supports highly-skilled

employment, and generates positive technology spillovers.

EDA is also fully engaged in the work of the Task Force for Defence which covers

some of our existing workstrands for example SMEs, CofE and Future Naval Systems.

Last but not least, the review of European Strategy is a necessity. Since 2003 there

have been so many crucial changes in the global environment we simply have to adjust our

strategy to nowadays challenges. There are different approaches as to what shall we do in

order to adjust it. Nevertheless, there are many voices that after almost a decade after the

initial document the second strategic review can be no longer postponed. Three options were

proposed in a study from 2011 by the Swedish Institute for International Affairs (UI): The

European Security Strategy: Reinvigorate, Revise or Reinvent:

The first option advocates re-invigoration of the ESS, preserving the current ESS but

making it more effective by drafting separate sub-strategies, in particular for partnerships,

operations, neighbors, EEAS and for the EU in the global multilateral environment.

The second option stands for revision of the ESS while saving the current structure

and orientation of strategy yet updating it for new threats, objectives, partnerships, and

relevant capabilities.

The third option recommend reinvention of the ESS through drafting a

new document, perhaps a grand strategy that articulates and sharpens the

EUs values and interests as defined in the Lisbon Treaty. It would encompass a

broader set of external policies, ranging from conflict prevention to trade and

from internal security to humanitarian relief. As such, this document might be

more aptly titled an External Action Strategy for the EU.

In 2012 there was an increased interest on the part of the Member States in a debate on

strategic problems of the functioning of the EU both in the social and economic area as

well as in the field of security in the global and regional dimensions. More and more states


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support the idea of initiating works on the EU new strategic document in this domain. They

can be referred to as a group of friends of the EU new security strategy.

Just like in case of any other CFSP issues - a lack of political will of the Member

States is the main obstacle that shall be expected during discussion on the EU new strategic

document. It results from the fact that the current level of ambitions might not be upheld

under the economic crisis.

At the same time, there is a change in approach - works on the European Global

Strategy were launched. Italy, Poland, Spain, and Sweden, are convinced that the EU needs a

broad strategic approach for its external relations. Time is ripe for a European Global Strategy

(EGS) that covers all aspects of the EUs external action. Such a strategy could be

instrumental in reinforcing a common European strategic culture, as well as a shared vision

and strategic direction. The results are scheduled for presentation in the first half of 2013.

They will constitute a key point of reference during the debate on the EU security strategy.

Those processes are complimentary. The increase withing the group of advocates of the

debate on the EU strategic document was observed. In 2013 the group of friends of the EU

new security strategy should aim at upholding the trend and including that subject in the

agenda of the European Council Summit in December.

Thank you for your attention!

Treść wystąpienia Krzysztofa Liska na konferencji "Aktualny stan Wspólnej Polityki...

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