BONN INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR CONVERSION INTERNATIONALES KONVERSIONSZENTRUM BONN brief 34 Defense Reform and Conversion in Albania, Macedonia and Croatia brief 34 Contents List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 4 Executive Summary 6 About the author Acknowledgements 7 Introduction 8 Tobias Pietz Researcher, Bonn International Center Albania 10 for Conversion (BICC), Germany Defense Reform 10 Defense Conversion 15 Conclusions 20 Macedonia 23 Defense Reform 23 Defense Conversion 29 Conclusions 34 Croatia 36 Defense Reform 36 Defense Conversion 39 Conclusions 46 Overall Conclusions 47 List of Interviewed Persons 50 Annex 52 Endnotes 68 Responsible at DCAF: Marc Remillard, Program Manager for Demobilization and Retraining Editing: Elvan Isikozlu Cover: NATO photos. Macedonian soldiers patrolling along the border with Kosovo. 2 B I C C BONN INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR CONVERSION INTERNATIONALES KONVERSIONSZENTRUM BONN brief 34 Defense Reform and Conversion in Albania, Macedonia and Croatia Tobias Pietz with Marc Remillard B I C C 3 brief 34 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations AAA Albanian Atlantic Association AAF Albanian Armed Forces ANP Annual National Program ARM Armed Forced of Macedonia BA&H Booz, Allen and Hamilton CAF Croatian Armed Forces CARDS Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilization COSS Council for Oversight of the Security Services DP Democratic Party of Albania DPA Democratic Party of the Albanians DUI Democratic Union for Integration EAPC Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council EPD Economy and Privatization Directorate ESDP European Security and Defense Policy EU European Union ICTY International Crime Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia IOM International Organization for Migration JNA Army of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia JNSC Joint National Security Committee LEPEZA (spectra) Macedonian Resettlement Project LTDP Long Term Development Plan MAP Membership Action Plan MAPE Multinational Advisory Police Force MOPO Ministry of Public Order MPRI Military Professional Resources Inc. NACC North Atlantic Cooperation Council NAMRA National Association of the Military in Reserve NCO Non-Commissioned Offi cer NDC National Demilitarization Center NLA National Liberation Army PARP Planning and Review Process PCC Prague Capabilities Commitment PDP Party for Democratic Prosperity PG Partnership Goals PMC Private Military Company RASDP Reintegration Assistance for Separated Defense Personnel SAA Stabilization and Association Agreements SAIC Science Applications International Corporation SAP Stabilization and Association Process 4 B I C C acronyms SDR Strategic Defense Review SDSM Social Democratic Union of Macedonia SP Socialist Party of Albania SP Stability Pact for South- Eastern Europe SPECTRA Separated Personnel Care and Transition Program TDF Territorial Defense Forces TRADOC Training and Doctrine Command UNEP United Nations Environment Program WEU Western European Union The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) was established in October 2000 on the initiative of the Swiss government. The Centre encourages and supports states and non-state governed institutions in their efforts to strengthen democratic and civilian control of armed and security forces, and promotes international cooperation in this fi eld, initially targeting the Euro-Atlantic regions. To implement these objectives, the Centre: collects information, undertakes research and engages in networking activities in order to identify problems, to estab- lish lessons learned and to propose the best practices in the fi eld of democratic control of armed forces and civil-mili- tary relations; provides its expertise and support to all interested parties, in particular governments, parliaments, military authorities, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, academic circles. Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) Rue de Chantepoulet 11 P. O. Box 1360 CH-1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)22 741 77 00 Fax: +41 (0)22 741 77 05 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.dcaf.ch B I C C 5 brief 34 Executive Summary lbania, Macedonia and Croatia subordinate. The relations between Regarding the concrete programs Aare entering a phase of defense the main security players, such as the which are currently implemented restructuring that most Eastern Parliament, the President, the Prime for the reintegration of redundant European countries have already Minister, and the Defense Minister personnel, only Croatia’s SPECTRA surpassed. A suffi cient degree of demonstrate contradictions between program can be judged as successful stability has been established in the defense laws and everyday practice. by the author, while all the other Western Balkans following the wars Very few NGOs are involved in programs are either defi cient or have and domestic unrest of the 1990s, in security and defense matters, as they just entered the implementation which reform processes and potential mostly repeat the stereotypical goal of phase with very modest outcomes. disarmament was brought to a halt. NATO integration without providing The lack of available funding and This brief deals with the military reform civilian expert input. Additionally, qualifi ed expertise for the preparation and the defense conversion process in the legacy of the communist past and implementation of reintegration the aforementioned countries. Among continues to perpetuate a culture of programs delayed the start of the the issues covered are the adoption and secrecy and infl uences civil-military LEPEZA program in Macedonia. implementation of strategic-doctrinal relations in Albania, Macedonia and At the same time, the inability of the documents, and the modernization Croatia. MoD in Albania to offer a realistic and downsizing of armed forces, reintegration program has forced it to including the reintegration measures The fi ndings of this brief further focus on improving pension benefi ts for redundant personnel and the show that the defense reform for ex-military men, despite the fact arrangements for sale and conversion process in the Western Balkans is that funding capabilities to implement of military bases. complex. This is because it involves the pension law for ex-offi cers is rather not only the improvement of civilian minimal. The current goal of defense reforms and democratic oversight and the in Albania, Macedonia and Croatia modernization of the armed forces The conversion of military sites consists mainly of establishing small, and the Ministries of Defense, but also remains vague in all three countries. modern, effective, deployable and the adaptation of the armed forces State offi cials often equate the term interoperable professional armies. to the new global, regional and local with the transfer or sale of military With the adoption of strategic strategic environment. Yet public property and equipment, or a documents, legal frameworks, and with opinion in Albania, Macedonia and modernization or income generation, the downsizing of personnel already Croatia associates defense reforms but not necessarily with benefi ts to in an advanced stage, the essential more with the closure of military sites, individuals, local communities or yardsticks of defense have been met. loss of employment and a decline in regions. At times, the modernization This brief concludes that the reforms living standards for former military of military bases for new operational have been guided primarily by external personnel. Despite achievements in the tasks is also referred to as conversion. actors, namely by NATO, foreign defense reform process, the Western As a rule, the national MoDs are Private Military Companies (PMC) and Balkan countries have achieved the institutions that are responsible bilateral support by the US and various differing degrees of success regarding for implementing and controlling EU countries. NATO’s infl uence has the restructuring of their armed the conversion of military property. played a particularly formative role, as forces, the reintegration of redundant Consequently, sale or renting is used as reforms are one of its priority issues, military personnel, and the conversion the main “conversion model” with the carried out through various programs of military sites for civilian purposes. main purpose being to generate funds. and activities. All three countries The reintegration of ex-military men Such a money-making approach may in consider these reforms as a test of into civilian life remains a secondary part explain the lack of transparency in their capability and willingness to problem, as it is not an integral part the process, and why the MoDs cannot adopt and implement the rules and of defense reform. The issue does be seen as impartial brokers. standards of NATO as well as a step not seem to be a priority for NATO towards potential EU membership in or PMC either, leaving it up to weak To improve the overall performance of the future. national institutions that act under the conversion activities of the three huge fi nancial constraints and with countries, this study recommends to: Theoretically, defense reform should limited integration possibilities of help adjust national institutions to national economies and labor markets. Increase transparency in all NATO standards in civil-military An exception to this is the strong, planned and currently undertaken relations as well. This brief argues fi nancial and structural involvement conversion activities, but that the role of national institutions of the International Organization