GETTING HARD ABOUT SOFT SECURITY:
EUROPEAN STRUCTURAL REFORM FOR PEACEBUILDING

This proposal calls for political commitment from the Member States, Council, Commission and Parliament to agree to structural reforms that will enable a more integrated EU approach to the preparation and management of short-term civilian crisis management and longer-term peacebuilding. The proposal is informed by the recognition that relevant capacities exist within member states governmental departments non-governmental organisations the private sector, and other international organisations, and that these are not presently mobilised in a sufficiently robust nor coherent manner in line with, or in support of, EU policy and practice.  

With this paper, EPLO outlines the capability gaps that result from the current fragmented approach and invites serious dialogue about how to reform EU structures to bridge institutional divides, involve all relevant stakeholders, and provide leadership in generating more civilian capacity in both governmental and non-governmental sectors. The establishment of a Joint European External Action Service should provide a common platform for concerted action, while the benefits of establishing other frameworks such as an Agency or Pool, which would allow for coordination beyond the EU institutions, should also be explored. 

EPLO hereby calls on the EU to seize the opportunity of forthcoming structural reforms to develop a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to crisis management and peacebuilding. Commitment to structural reform is needed if the EU is to get “hard” about soft security and realise its ambitions to be a more active, capable and coherent actor in promoting international peace and security.

Why is this needed?

Civilian instruments for crisis management, within the context of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), are broken down into four priority areas – police, rule of law, civilian administration and civil protection – and it is these priorities that have shaped the EU’s approach to the development of civilian capabilities. The four areas are by no means exhaustive, but even within those there are issues of co-ordination and ownership as the four areas will fall under the direction of at least two or, in the case of some Member States, more government departments. There is, at present, no forum in which the responsible Government Ministers of the Member States can work on a common approach to this area.

The current approach to crisis management is limited because the ESDP mechanisms are institutionally and practically divorced from conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict reconstruction activities supported by the Commission, Member States, the UN, OSCE and NGOs. This undermines effectiveness and the potential for long-term, sustainable peace and stability for those affected by conflict and the international community at large. The institutional and cultural divides between the EU institutions, and between the EU and the other actors mentioned above must therefore be bridged for the future strengthening of European Union peacebuilding and conflict prevention. 

In order to meet these aims, appropriate processes or mechanisms should address the following functions: 

Training and recruitment

•	Establish European standards for training and recruitment of civilian personnel,
•	Ensure training and recruitment mechanisms are open and accessible to both state and non-state experts, and that these address civilian personnel requirements for long-term peacebuilding as well as shorter-term crisis management,
•	Coordinate and further develop national rosters and common formats and procedures to improve their interoperability, 
•	Research further areas of civilian expertise required for peacebuilding and crisis management and develop training and recruitment standards for these,
•	Evaluate and manage accreditation of training courses and qualifications that meet the European standards

•	Planning, mission support and evaluation for civilian crisis management  Identify long-term and short-term civilian capability objectives and operational requirements based on needs assessments and best practice and evaluate the observance of the capability commitments given by the Member States,
•	Explore different options of deployment including rapidly deployable cross-disciplinary teams,
•	Establish a best practice unit to examine lessons learned reports relating to civilian interventions, to commission independent conflict impact assessments, and to promote best practice throughout the EU on the basis of this evaluation.

Co-ordination of internal EU instruments

•	Co-ordinate the planning, implementation and evaluation of relevant mechanisms within all EU institutions within country/region-specific strategic frameworks of intervention, under a joint Council and Commission mandate, for a longer-term conflict prevention approach,
•	Co-ordinate focal points within relevant General Directorates (DGs) in the Commission, the EU Military Staff (EUMS) and CivCom in the Council, and the Justice and Home Affairs mechanisms for regular planning and evaluation,
•	Develop expertise in managing the civilian / military interface and establish a mechanism to integrate planning and mission-support for civilian crises management operations with military planning in the EUMS and future Planning Cell.

Cooperation with external organisations and non-governmental organisations

•	Minimise duplication and maximise efficiency of implementation between external organisations, regional and sub-regional and non-governmental organisations, involved in crisis management and conflict prevention,
•	Ensure the development of joint operations that support local capacity-building and longer-term peacebuilding,
•	Document and develop, in consultation with NGOs, best practice principles for all parties engaged in EU crisis management and conflict prevention

Research and evaluation

•	Support independent policy-relevant research to identify needs based capability targets and to promote best practice in EU peacebuilding and crisis management policies, programmes and operations,
•	Support independent audits of the EU’s conflict prevention and crisis prevention efforts, drawing on the experience of local stakeholders,
•	Support independent early warning reports, for the Commission and the EU Situation Centre.