European Transnational Armed Forces
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CEVRO Institute European Transnational Armed Forces Development, Analyses and Discussion of an Approach as Supplement to National Armies Robert Schoder PPE: Philosophy, Politics, Economics Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Radka Havlová Master’s Thesis Prague, 2020 Abstract The European security infrastructure build up by NATO and the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the European Union is faced with internal divides and a lack in decisive action. This stands in front of an increasingly difficult perspective for European security policy and Europe’s strategic situation. The instability emerging from wide parts of Africa and the Middle East threat also Europe as this instability can translate into zones of retreat for terrorists and be the starting point for irregular migration; the increasingly aggressive actions of Russia in front of Europe and pursues together with China a policy to weaken the unity within EU and NATO; and the actual divides between substantial members of the European Union and the USA and a potential shift concerning the efforts the USA are spending in Europe need to find substantial answers. In this time the High Representative of the European Union calls for the establishment of “´hard power´ dimension” for the European Foreign and Security Policy. The thesis shows an opportunity how such a hard power dimension could look like. It develops and discusses the potential of the build-up of European transnational armed forces recruited out of the vast majority of European states and funded by ten per cent of European military spending to help face those challenges. It gives answers on how it can be established, which legal and institutional matters have to be reconsidered, how it can be funded, and how challenges for such an approach can be faced. 1 1 The font picture is a self-creation out of a stylized NATO-Star generated from the logo of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) in combination with a circle of EU 12 stars. The colours are the colours of the European Council as the stars are the ones of the Logo of the European Council. This combines symbols of two different entities which European transnational armed forces could be linked to. Table of Contents List of Abbreviations...................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 8 Research Question and Argument.............................................................................................................. 9 Thesis Structure.............................................................................................................................................. 12 State of Research and Methodology........................................................................................................ 14 What is European Security and Foreign Policy? Specifications of Key Terms.......................16 1 Security Architecture of Europe...............................................................................................20 1.1 The European Union and CFSP................................................................................................................. 21 1.1.1 Developments of CFSP Since 1990.......................................................................................................... 23 1.1.2 CFSP Institutions............................................................................................................................................ 26 1.2 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization................................................................................................ 30 1.2.1 Developments Since 1990 for NATO....................................................................................................... 30 1.2.2 NATO Institutions........................................................................................................................................... 33 1.3 European States in the European Security Architecture................................................................34 1.4 Analyses and Derivations of the Chapter-Findings...........................................................................37 2 Arguments for European Transnational Armed Forces...................................................40 2.1 Advantages of ETAF Given by its Characteristics...............................................................................40 2.1.1 Alliance Strengthening and Deterrence................................................................................................. 40 2.1.2 ETAF as Framework Nation and Strategic Enabler...........................................................................42 2.1.3 Political Unification – Armed Forces as Contributor to European Identity............................44 2.2 Counterarguments to European Army Approaches Compared to ETAF..................................45 2.2.1 Five Hurdles for the European Army Approaches.............................................................................46 2.2.2 The Advantages of the ETAF Approach Compared to EU Army Approaches..........................49 2.3 Classification of the ETAF Approach Compared to the European Army Approaches.........50 3 Institutional Frameworks to Embed ETAF............................................................................51 3.1 ETAF's Linkage to NATO.............................................................................................................................. 52 3.2 ETAF Embedded in the CFDP..................................................................................................................... 53 3.2.1 Options for an Embedment of ETAF Without Changes of the EU Treaties..............................54 3.2.2 Opportunities for Embedment Connected to EU Treaty Changes..............................................55 3.3 Realising ETAF Outside the EU.................................................................................................................. 59 4 Strategic Challenges for Joint European Security Policy..................................................62 4.1 Instability in Africa and the Middle East as Threat for European Security.............................62 4.2 Russia as Security Challenge...................................................................................................................... 64 4.2.1 Driving Forces For Aggressive Actions From a Russian Perspective.........................................64 4.2.2 Challenges and Threats Posed by Russia..............................................................................................66 4.3 Transatlantic Divide as Security Challenge..........................................................................................67 4.3.1 Causes For Transatlantic Divide: Geopolitical Trends.....................................................................68 4.3.2 Causes For Transatlantic Divide: Political, Strategic and Military Disappointments..........69 5 Transnational Armed Forces for Europe...............................................................................71 5.1 Proposal ETAF´s Spectrum of Capabilities...........................................................................................71 5.1.1 Air Capabilities................................................................................................................................................ 72 5.1.2 Ground Forces.................................................................................................................................................. 74 5.1.3 Navy..................................................................................................................................................................... 77 5.1.4 ETAF as Capability Pool................................................................................................................................ 78 5.2 Building and Transition Process of ETAF..............................................................................................78 5.3 Budget................................................................................................................................................................. 80 5.3.1 Base Budget Built by GDP Linked Efforts ............................................................................................81 5.3.2 Proposal for a Financial Gap-Closing Mechanism.............................................................................82 5.3.3 ETAF as “Great Pool”..................................................................................................................................... 83 5.3.4 Links of Budget Matters to Several Aspects of the Research Question.....................................83 6 Challenges for ETAF and Solutions..........................................................................................85 6.1 How Common Ground Can Be Developed............................................................................................85 6.2 Strategic and Tactical Divergences as Challenge................................................................................86 6.3 Different Alliance Memberships and Military Neutrality...............................................................87 6.4 Military Culture and Political Status of the Soldier...........................................................................90