News item | 21-03-2022 | 18:38
The EU foreign and defense ministers today adopted the Strategic Compass in Brussels: a new EU strategy paper that ambitiously steers the European security and defense policy for the next 5 to 10 years. The government welcomes the Strategic Compass, which includes important elements of the Coalition Agreement. After the violent and illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Compass has been extensively adapted and reflects this new reality.
Minister Ollongren: “The Russian aggression in Ukraine has a huge impact on our security. Europe should not be a playing field, but a player. This Strategic Compass is a necessity. To strengthen defense cooperation in the EU and get started quickly, for example by investing more jointly in defense equipment.”
Minister Hoekstra: “The return of war to our continent marks a geopolitical turning point. This forces the EU to mature more quickly as a power political player. With the Strategic Compass, the 27 European member states are now making a clear choice for more intensive military and strategic cooperation. We are taking more responsibility for our safety. We do this not only as an EU, but also in cooperation with our transatlantic partners and NATO.”
Invest heavily
The Compass underlines the urgency to increase European defense investment. Germany and a number of other member states have already announced in recent weeks that they will meet the 2% GDP standard in the near future. The Dutch cabinet will invest an additional 3 billion euros per year in the armed forces in the coming years, and is currently examining whether more is needed. This is partly because of Ukraine, but also because of the increasing instability elsewhere on the European external borders. The money is needed to contribute to the heightened vigilance, defenses and Allied deterrence resulting from the current Russian aggression. The European Defense Fund will play an important role in driving joint European defense projects.
Military mobility
The Compass also pays a lot of attention to military mobility, including the necessary investments in it. Especially in times of crisis, a good infrastructure within the EU is important to quickly move larger numbers of personnel and equipment. The Netherlands plays a leading role in this area as chair of the PESCO project on this subject.
EU-NATO cooperation
The Compass prominently mentions the importance of the EU’s strategic partnership with NATO. Close EU-NATO cooperation is essential for Euro-Atlantic security. “The current crisis has shown that NATO and the EU work side by side and complement each other well,” said Ollongren.
Hoekstra: “The Strategic Compass is a step towards a geopolitical Union that operates hand in hand with NATO. By enhancing our security capabilities as European countries, we are also strengthening the transatlantic partnership.”
Rapid intervention
An important action point from the Compass is the Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC), which can be used to mobilize about 5,000 European soldiers within a short period of time. This builds on an improved version of the current EU Battle Group (EUBG) and should be operational in 2025, according to the Compass.
The EU is developing operational deployment scenarios for this rapid response unit, such as evacuation and stabilization operations. The unit will also practice live with these scenarios. Depending on the crisis situation, air, naval and cyber capabilities may also be added. The intention is that the operational headquarters (Military Planning and Conduct Capability) in Brussels will manage the unit. The Netherlands will contribute to this RDC in 2025.
European resilience
The Compass also focuses on strengthening European resilience against external threats, such as cyber and hybrid threats and disinformation. Partly on the initiative of the Netherlands, the establishment of a ‘hybrid toolbox’ has been included in the Compass. With this toolbox, the EU can deploy existing and new EU instruments such as sanctions, cyber, disinformation, in response to hybrid threats.
The European Council on 24 March next will ratify the Strategic Compass.