FROM EUROPEAN MOBILITY TO MILITARY INTEROPERABILITY EXCHANGING YOUNG OFFICERS, KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW Sylvain PAILE-CALVO This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Author and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2016 Author of the texts: © Sylvain Paile-Calvo, 2016. © European Union, 2016 Reproduction authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Print ISBN 978-92-95201-02-6 doi:10.2855/921604 QW-02-16-687-EN-C PDF ISBN 978-92-95201-03-3 doi:10.2855/483120 QW-02-16-687-EN-N FROM EUROPEAN MOBILITY TO MILITARY INTEROPERABILITY EXCHANGING YOUNG OFFICERS, KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW Sylvain PAILE-CALVO From european mobility to military interoperability Acknowledgement Because a doctoral thesis is a scientific adventure, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my promoters, Professor Colonel Vesselin Madansky and Professor Quentin Michel. Because this doctoral thesis was also a human adventure, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my friends, Vesselin and Quentin. My gratitude also goes to my comrades in this long adventure: Harald, Dirk, Symeon, Hans-Bernhard, Evelina, Krastyu and all the representatives of the Implementation Group and of the military institutes who dedicated their time to consider, with me, this contribution to the future of the European Security and Defence. To my dear colleagues and friends of the European Studies Unit and Emily. To the Vassil Levski National Military University, which hosted me and provided me with the most adequate conditions. A Virginie, sans qui l’aventure de la vie ne saurait être aussi belle, et à Oscar qui, avec nous, grandit. 2 Acknowledgement Table of contents Acknowledgement 2 List of abbreviations 4 Foreword by the High Representative of the Union 5 Foreword by the Head of the ESDC 6 Foreword by the Chairman of the Implementation Group 7 Introduction 8 Chapter 1: The current state of a European military higher education area 13 Chapter 2: Reinforcing the integration of the European military higher education through mobility 69 General conclusions 116 Proposals 119 Bibliography 123 Annex: Schemes and Fiches 128 3 From european mobility to military interoperability List of abbreviations ACT: Allied Command Transformation BFUG: Bologna Follow-Up Group CEDEFOP: European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training CFSP: Common Foreign and Security Policy DeSeCo: Definition and Selection of Competencies project ECTS: European Credit Transfer and accumulation System ECVET: European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training EEAS: European External Action Service EHEA: European Higher Education Area EHEA-FQ: European Higher Education Area Framework of Qualifications EMACS: European Military Academies Commandants Seminar ENQA: European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education EQAR: European Quality Assurance Register EQAVET: European Quality Assurance Reference Framework EQF: European Qualifications Framework ESDC: European Security and Defence College ESDP/CSDP: European/Common Security and Defence Policy ESIB: European Students’ Union EU: European Union EUA: European University Association EUAFA: European Air Force Academies EUMC: European Union Military Committee EUMS: European Union Military Staff IDL: Internet-Distance Learning IG: Implementation Group iMAF: International Military Academies Forum MECTS: Military European Credit Transfer and accumulation System MoD: Ministry of Defence NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NDC: NATO Defence College NORDEFCO: Nordic Defence Cooperation OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development PfP: NATO Partnership for Peace SIC: Conference of Superintendents of the Naval Academies UNESCO: United Nations Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organisation WEU: Western European Union 4 Foreword by the High Representative of the Union Foreword by the High Representative of the Union Towards a European defence culture We live times of unprecedented challenges for Europe, and our Union is sometimes struggling to cope. Cooperation and unity become more vital than ever, but our action is too often thwarted by fear and resurging nationalisms. Europe needs a new generation of true Europeans, and a new sense of belonging to our continent and our Union. This is true in all sectors, from politics to academia. And it is equally true for our armed forces. European security and defence are more integrated than ever before. Our military and civilian operations see personnel from all corners of our Union cooperate towards our common goals. Just months ago, after the terrorist attacks in Paris, our mutual defence clause has been activated for the first time in our history. It is increasingly true that none of us, not even our biggest Member States, can face today’s threats on their own. Common threats call for common responses, and for a shared European defence culture. It is becoming more and more vital that our future military leaders have the opportunity to enjoy a truly European training and education. The variety of our military traditions and defence instruments – far from being a liability – can be one of our Union’s greatest strengths. But we need our military staff to be familiar with the international environment they will work in, to fully reap the benefits of a more cohesive European defence environment. “Interoperability” begins with mutual understanding, shared know-how and friendly personal relations, too. This is the very logic which led to establishing, back in 2008, the European initiative for the exchange of young officers inspired by Erasmus. This new compendium of the European military officers’ initial education and training systems – with the support of the European Security and Defence College – is an important guide to grasp the diversity that makes our unity. Erasmus has shaped generations of European citizens. Likewise, the military Erasmus can be a cornerstone towards a common European security and defence culture. Federica Mogherini High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Vice-President of the European Commission 5 From european mobility to military interoperability Foreword by the Head of the ESDC The European Security and Defence College with its network of training institutes from the Member States trains future decision-makers in the field of the Common Security and Defence Policy. Its mission comprises to further enhance a European security and defence culture. Its unique setup is based on the experience of the Union acquired in missions and operations and that feeds in return its crisis management concepts. Interoperability, to this end, must become for the future military leaders both a commitment and a technique. It is only when acting together that our countries will be able to cope with the challenges of an increasingly complex world, acting together as military technicians but also as crisis managers together with their civilian counterparts. These challenges and realities must be acknowledged as early as the initial stage of education and training of these future CSDP actors. The European initiative for the exchange of young officers inspired by Erasmus, which was launched in 2008 and is supported by the European Security and Defence College, is a cornerstone of the pursuit of these objectives. At the basis of the initiative is the conviction that the mobility of young military students, their teachers, their trainers, exchanging knowledge and know-how within the Union paves the way for greater integration and coherence of our future actions in favour of peace and security. When looking at the undoubted success of the Erasmus+ programme on our European society, there is no doubt that the exchanges of future military leaders will enhance better knowledge about, mastery of and commitment to common policies. This new compendium of the European military officers’ initial education and training systems maps the assets of the Member States and the challenges they meet when further developing exchanges of young offices. It identifies the obstacles and formulates options for responding to these challenges. The present study provides the information that is needed for spreading the knowledge, skills and competences needed for the military leadership of the 21st century. Exchanges are a precious tool for making European defence effective, they are possible and should be facilitated. Dirk Dubois Head of the European Security and Defence College European External Action Service 6 Foreword by the Chairman of the Implementation Group Foreword by the Chairman of the Implementation Group The Compendium – Cui Bono? In 2008 the European Union (EU) Ministers of Defence decided in their 2903rd External Relations Council Meeting to establish an Implementation Group (IG) with the tasks to harmonize the EU Basic Officer Education (BOE), to increase interoperability and to promote a European Security and Defence Culture among the future European managers for security and defence. The IG is a project-focused configuration of the Executive Academic Board (EAB) supported by the ESDC Secretariat. Consisting of experts from mainly military BOE Institutions (BOEI), the IG elaborates possibilities and creates preconditions to encourage exchanges of young officers during their initial education and training. Existing exchange programmes as well as creating