Audit of European Strategy. Egmont Paper, no. 3, January 2005

The European Security Strategy, which was adopted in December 2003 by the European Council, serves three functions. Firstly, it provides a frame of reference both for long-term strategies and for current political problems. Secondly, it is a basis for consultation with major partners on central strategic issues. Thirdly, it leads to concrete follow-up in five areas identified by the European Council: (1) proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, (2) the fight against terrorism, (3) effective multilateralism with the UN at its core, (4) a strategy towards the region of the Middle East, and (5) a comprehensive policy towards Bosnia-Herzegovina. Where do we stand on these five issues? On WMD the European Union has adopted a comprehensive strategy which is being implemented. On terrorism, as a consequence of the attacks in Madrid, the European Council on 25 and 26 March 2004 agreed on a wide-ranging Declaration reaffirming the EU's determination to systematically confront the terrorist threat. The appointment of an EU counter-terrorism coordinator will help to improve coordination and visibility of EU actions in this field. Progress has been achieved on a number of third pillar directives and regulations (Directive on compensating victims of crime, Regulation on the Schengen Information System, Decision establishing the Visa Information System, Europol and Eurojust agreement) as well as on the prospect of integrating in the Council Secretariat an intelligence capacity on all aspects of the terrorist threat. In March, the European Council also brought forward the solidarity clause thus anticipating the Constitutional Treaty

Article 5 revisited:Is NATO up to it?

The events in Ukraine pose fundamental questions about the Alliance's military and political ability to uphold its obligations to defend NATO's member states. Russian tactics in Georgia and Ukraine remain below the article 5 threshold of an 'armed attack against one or more' Allies, which means that not only a dusting off of conventional defence forces is required, but also a rethink as to whether NATO has the right tools and mind-set. At the summit in Newport the Allies will have to rise to the challenge of translating the short-term response into a longer-term strategy, while simultaneously not neglecting ongoing needs for crisis management out-of-area