Priority of Defence and Security in European Countries during the 20th and 21st Century - Research Paper Example

To what extent have defence and security been a priority for European countries during the 20th and 21st century and how has this been reflected in the institutional arrangement of the EU institutions? The first half of the twentieth century witnessed military invasion and wars. To curb further military actions, the NATO was formed by the United States and some Western European nations. However, Europe envisaged self sufficiency to restore security in the region and initiated several institutions to integrate European nations to create a consolidated responsibility. The beginning of the twenty first century witness security threats in the form of weapons of mass destruction, illicit drug and human trafficking, failure of states and the emergence of terrorism. In the light of the above circumstance, the European Union has taken strong action to prioritise defence and security through a joint action and cooperation from all European nations by forming institutions to tackle security crisis in the region. Defence and security has gained significance and priority in Europe in the twentieth and twenty first century in the backdrop of significant threats and global challenges to security. This has lead to the adoption of strategic objectives to deal with security threats in the European Union neighbourhood and also in promoting effective multilateralism across international borders. The European Security Strategy (ESS) was formed under the authority of European Union’s High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy and it was adopted during the Brussels European Council and evaluates the implications of the policy for Europe. Global security environment has undergone changes due to the ever expanding process of globalization. The external and internal factors that determine the security of a nation and region are interlinked. The development of technology, flow of investment and trade and the spread of democracy have given freedom and prosperity to many people. At the same time, there are people who think that globalization is an injustice and this has caused frustration among certain group of people. Poverty and diseases that has struck developing nations have also given rise to security threats and in several cases, the economic failure of a nation results in violent conflicts and political issues. Security is a necessity for the economic development of nations. The competition to acquire natural resources adds to the security concerns in certain regions. The dependence for energy is a major concern for Europe. The European Security Strategy has identified major security concerns faced by Europe. Significant threats are terrorism, production of weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts, organised crime and state failure. The twentieth and twenty first century has witnessed several terrorist attacks that has claimed the lives of many and has restricted the freedom of people. Terrorism undermines the tolerance and openness of societies. Terrorism is linked to complex reasons like social, cultural and political crisis as a result of modernization. This has evoked an indispensable need among European nations to take a concerted action to deal with terrorism. Production of weapons of mass destruction is a serious threat to the Europeans nations. Though the production and spread of these weapons have been slowed down by export control regulations and international treaty regimes, the world is entering a dangerous era in WMD. There has been advancement in the build up of biological sciences and this has increased the potential for the production of biological weapons. A more dangerous situation arises when terrorist outfits access and obtain these weapons of mass destruction, since a small terror organisation can inflict damages of a large scale which is otherwise possible only by armies and states. The direct and indirect effects of regional conflicts on European interests irrespective of its geographical location have been one of the major security concerns during the twentieth century. Regional conflict is dangerous to human rights, fundamental freedom and minorities. It can lead to terrorism, extremism and is the frontrunner for the failure of a state. The impact of state failure on other nations is clear from the example of Afghanistan, which lost its power to the Taliban extremists. Bad governance and civil conflict, abuse of power, corruption, lack of accountability and weak institutions can lead to the collapse of a state. The failure of a state is an alarming situation which undermines global governance and increases the chances of regional instability. Europe is also a key target of organised crime. Though the crime happens with an external dimension, trafficking of women, drugs, arms and weapons pass through Europe. These criminal activities originate in failing or weak states. Organised crime is also associated with terrorism and it can dominate the state. The Strategic objectives of European Union The European Union has formed several strategies to preserve its security and values. Addressing threats: The European Union has persistently taken steps to deal with significant threats. The Union has implemented several security measures post the 9/11 attacks in the U.S., that comprise the formation of European Arrest Warrants and measures to curb terrorist financing. The Union has been brining up policies to tackle arms proliferation by intensifying international treaties and by verifying its provisions. The European Union plays crucial role to resolve regional conflicts and to revive failed States. The restoration of good governance promotes democracy and restricts the operation of organized crime. During the twentieth century, until the Cold war ended, the traditional form of self defence was against invasion. At the turn of the century, security concerns have taken a new dimension with the origination of threat from abroad. Anticipation of crisis is therefore essential to sense future attack and tackle a security problem in its beginning stage. The response to a threat now requires a combined effort for which the European nations are required to act in unison and be equipped to encounter any unexpected attacks. The European Union places high interest in promoting good governance in nations across its borders. The Union promotes good governance on the eastern side of the European Union and on the Mediterranean side to improve cooperation and close relations. In addition to reinstating peace in Europe, the Union is interested in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict which is crucial to solve other issues in the Middle-East. The objective of European Union is to form a strong international society, through well functioning global institutions like the United Nations through its Charter constitutes that has the basic framework to promote international relations. The European Union has drafted a logical foreign policy and effective crisis management system for robust intervention. The increase in responsibility adds to the political weight of the policies. The capability of the Union is increased with the formation of European Defence Agency that envisages a stronger Europe. The logical policies of the European Union to defend its security is made more effective by combining the various capabilities and tools of European Union policies like European Development Fund, European assistance program and the civilian and military capabilities of member states. The defence and security of the Union is stepped up not only through policies with member states but through bilateral partnerships and multilateral cooperation with key states. Transatlantic relationship is an inevitable process and the EU is required develop relations with Canada, Japan, Russia, India and China (European security strategy). The ambition to form a separate European security and defence policy has remained with Europe since 1946 when federalists wanted to form a European army. The European Defence Community was a failed attempt which later evolved into Western European Union in the year 1954. Western European Union however was dormant during the Cold War. The initiatives to set up a European defence and security policy has continuously faced problems during the institution creation process because of inadequate resources for improvement. The formation of an institution faced with challenges about military capabilities to accomplish the objectives of the mission since the military budget of European nations was scarce then (Stivachtis p.19). Security identity was the main goal of European Union in addition to taking a share of the responsibility to build a better world to assure global security (European Military Security-Goals, Policies, Practices). The initial twentieth century security and defence was realized after the Second World War and therefore the NATO was formed in 1949. It was a pact for mutual defence among West European nations and North America. The mutual agreement was not only to face shared threats but also to learn lessons from the devastation caused by wars in the early twentieth century. The NATO was formed to ensure European unity and to continue the prevalence of North America in European affairs. The unity was required in Europe to overcome the cycle of rivalry and mistrust. Though the Atlantic Alliance served the purpose of security, European nations required a closer integration to abolish war. The exclusion of Poland from European policies is one reason that has driven European Union to aim for closer integration. However, Poland was included in the Atlantic Alliance by making history in Europe. Poland has thus entered an exclusive security zone and into a new framework in its democratic, multinational and transatlantic relations. The Eastern part of Europe and the Balkan region is yet to join the European Union in terms of stepping up security and defence (Lord Robertson). The European solidarity has remained minimum because of ideological and national conflicts. The European order has a democratic dimension subsequent to 1919 and 1945 in its participation in international relations. This concept is gaining significance and is set to include Russia in the European Union (Soutou p:329-353). During the 1990’s, there has been several revision of defence policies among European nations. The industrial alliance has undergone continuous changes during the same period. It was also an era when defence economies gained institutional and political significance. The European defence was initiated by the European Union to deal with common policies comprising technological and industrial strategies and the CFSP (Common Foreign and Security Policy). Based on the CFSP, the European Union has intensified the research, assessment and information regarding economic and political aspects of defence (Defence and Security). A powerful institution of the European Union is the ESDP (European Security and Defence Policy) that attempts to centralize the most significant tools of nation-statehood. The formation of ESDP is viewed as a militarization process that has caused a great change to the geopolitical affairs of the transatlantic alliance after the Second World War. From a political perspective the ESDP comprise the worst factors of European hostility towards the United States and may basically demoralize the Anglo-American relationship and the NATO alliance. The ESDP is constituted as a challenge to NATO. After the establishment of ESDP in 1998, it has been considered by the European Union elites as a military identity that stands apart from NATO. The ESDP is projected as a European power and it is used to promote the European Union as a universal actor. The European Union has used institutional program formations to develop its integrationist and centralizing policies (McNamara). The Western European countries have remained passive for decades over military utilization of space when compared to the Unites States use of space. European nations are now vying to set up greater autonomy in defence and security by remaining in the framework of NATO. However, this leads to increasing requirement for European security facilities to avail military space assets which are temporarily acquired from a Spanish satellite centre that presently analyses commercial obtained satellite imagery (McLean p.239-248). The Helsinki summit of European Union concluded in December 1999 with the formation of the European Security and Defence Identity which is separable though not separate from the framework of NATO. Following the summit, the EU also planned to form a rapid reaction corps by the year 2003 to tackle security issues (Schmidt p.12-14). The Common Foreign and Security Policy was laid down during the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. The factors of CFSP were refined during the Amsterdam Treaty effective from May 1999. The improved Amsterdam Treaty offered common strategies where Member States are required to share significant interests. The treaty emphasized policy formulation and early warning system by creating a policy unit to work for Council of Ministers which is further strengthened through an interim security and political team and a parallel military team to counsel governments about crisis management. The highlight of Amsterdam Treaty is the formations of a High Representative for CFSP. The High Representative works in association with member states and Commission through wide diplomatic networks and commission’s delegation to ensure efficiency and continuity to EU’s foreign policy. The institutional arrangement of CFSP underwent changes after the Amsterdam treaty with reformulation of objectives that opened up the prospect of use of non-military and military capabilities to deal with humanitarian disasters. This is called the Petersberg tasks that range from rescue and search mission to peace making operations and peace keeping. Subsequent to the formation of European Strategic Defence Policy during the Helsinki summit, it was insisted that all operations would be carried out in a transparent manner in cooperation and consultation with non-EU nations and NATO. It was also made clear that NATO would remain the basis for collective defence and that the EU would take action only in circumstance where the NATO is not engaged (The European Union: A Global Player). The defence and security institutions of European Union has found it imperative to amalgamate the GIS capabilities and strategies of east European countries with the operation capabilities and infrastructure of the NATO and EU. This has led eastern and central European nations to redesign and develop their GIS facilities according to the requirements of NATO and EU. The challenges associated with this process is the ability to facilitate cross-border operatability, tracking drug and refugee trafficking, crime, environment protection and other strategic operations that require the GIS services. A unique forum comprising remote sensing, geospatial intelligence, imagery and operations and analysis was formed to debate and discuss challenges in east and central Europe (GIS Defence & Security Strategies For Central & Eastern Europe). The advancement in the defence and security capability of European defence institutions is to close the gap between the defence technology of Europe and the United States. Currently, military capability requires technologies with more global and commercial perspective which is readily available from all partners in the European alliance. The technological gap is more in the form of budget rather than technology (Williams p.81). Seminars like European Defence Procurement is held to open up natural markets to a whole European competition based on latest directives about Defence and Security procurement. The seminar also discusses the policy of European Defence Agency about defence procurement (European Defence Procurement). As per the Maastricht Treaty, the European police called Europol is set up to improve cooperation between the police of member states to combat and prevent terrorism, drug trafficking and other types of organised international crime through the exchange and collection of information between concerned authorities (European Union). The transformation process of European security and defence is still in the work-in-progress stage. It is now aimed to come out with a new face for the NATO with new organizational design and new tasks (Hauser & Kernic p.6) Constructivism The concept of constructivism emerged during the1990’s to reinforce idealist theories against the hegemony of rationalist theories like liberalism and neorealism that lead to consequentiality of states. The many factors that constructivism criticize are the impact of discourses, ideas, norms and identities that require states to follow a uniform logic of appropriateness. In the case of ESDP, constructivists consider it as a broader concept which is coordinated into action through argument and deliberation through European forums like the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe), European Union or the Council of Europe (Merand p.22). The concept of institutionalism defines resilient factors of social structure. Institutionalism emphasises the process through which structures that include rules, schemes, routines and norms are promulgated as authoritative strategies for social behaviour. Institutionalism stands for stability and order in the society not only through conformity and consensus but also by making changes to social structures and through conflict (Institutional theory). In the case of ESDP, an institutionalist analysis indicates that ESDP can be effective only if it answers the fundamental questions for which the institution was formed. ESDP has emerged as a institution to suit the defence and security requirements over time in a wider institutional perspective through interdependent institutions because NATO and ESDP work in coordination and it is influenced by politics and as a consequence there is great extent of functional, institutional and geographical overlap between the two institutions (Reynods). The European Security Strategy is clearly aimed to tackle the new kind of military conflict that comes through terrorist attacks. The development of ESDP as a capability driven institution together with the need to intervene and assist contemporary crisis is due to the re-emergence of terrorism as an absolute threat to Europe. Therefore the ESS has laid strategic objectives to fight terrorism with significance and by considering various factors of the EU’s external relations strategy. The ESS is convinced that Europe is a target and a base for terrorism. The strategic policy includes police, intelligence cooperation, military and judicial power to tackle the concern. The July 2005 terror attack in London and March 2004 bombings in Madrid reinforce the understanding of ESS about terrorism (Weber & Eliasson p.321). The European Union has a different stance while fighting international terrorism. The EU gives importance to the economic, social and political root causes of terrorism and takes comprehensive measures unlike the measures taken by the United States. ESDP has now included terrorism as a permanent dimension in its defence and security policy (Reichard p.70). It may be concluded that the European Union has alerted all European nations about the need to step up security and be alert about the developing security issues around the continent. The formation of various institutions follows the institutional theory by deliberating policies and strategies to secure the European neighbourhood. Various military and intelligence capabilities are also institutionalised to manage an immediate crisis. Therefore, European nations have prioritised security through its various institutional arrangements. Works Cited Defence and Security 2001 Available: http://www.iai.it/sections_en/ricerca/difesa_sicurezza/difesa_sicurezza.asp. Accessed on August 27, 2009. European Defence Procurement 2009 Available: http://www.eipa.eu/en/activities/show/&tid=2893. Accessed on August 27, 2009. European Military Security-Goals, Policies, Practices Available: http://www.foreignpolicy.org.tr/documents/seyfitashan_160606.htm. Accessed on August 27, 2009. European security strategy 2006 Available: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/fight_against_terrorism/r00004_en.htm. Accessed on August 27, 2009. European Union 2009 Available: http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Politica_Europea/Unione_Europea/. Accessed on August 27, 2009. 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Accessed on August 27, 2009. Weber, Jeffrey A. & Eliasson, Johan Handbook of Military Administration Vol.137 of Public administration and public policy Florida: CRC Press 2007 Williams, Cindy Holding the line: U.S. defence alternatives for the early 21st century Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2001 Read More