European External Intelligence Co-Operation

Book excerpt: Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: The author of this master thesis has worked in 2004 as a trainee in the Press Cabinet of the High Representative of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and has followed the developments in the co-operative European intelligence structure within the Council Secretariat from close-by. Since the implementation of a European Defence and Security Policy in 1999, the EU has to apply and co-ordinate a broad range of broad range of security policy instruments. Therefore, access to various kinds of intelligence has become indispensable. Due to the terrorist attacks in of 11 September 2001, co-operation of EU military and external intelligence has been supplemented. The Madrid attacks and the launching of the EUFOR-Althea mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina in December 2004 have finally led to a wider political debate on the level of intelligence co-operation among Member States. Of particular importance was the establishment of the Joint Situation Center (SITCEN), a strategic intelligence assessment cell, which supports the decision-making of the High Representative. Unless there is not a high degree of intelligence sharing among EU governments, CFSP will remain in an embryonic state. (Charles Grant, 2000) What Grant was certainly right to entitle embryonic in the year 2000 seems to be a glaring understatement from today s perspective. Within the last five years the European Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) developed with the speed of light . One can agree with this metaphor chosen by EU s High Representative for CFSP Javier Solana, if one takes into consideration how slowly the wheels of progress in Brussels and in the capitals of the Member States often turn. The taking over of the 7000 troops strong Althea mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina from NATO this year is indeed an impressive proof of how mature CFSP has become. Given the hypothesis of Charles Grant is true and without intelligence sharing the development of CFSP would be blocked at an early stage, we must conclude that truly decisive developments in the field of EU intelligence co-operation have taken place, albeit largely unnoticed by the public. This study has not the intention to engage in a debate of principles whether the intensifying militarisation of the European Union is the most appropriate approach to confront the key threats of today s international security environment. It will rather take the developments in CFSP [...]