Civil-military relations in Kosovo - the stakes of the European involvement

Résumé du document

In 2003, after the outbreak of European divisions over the question of Iraq, the European Council adopted the European Strategy developed by Javier Solana in a document, 'A secure Europe in a Better World', stating that 'Europe should be ready to share in the responsibility for global security and in building a better world'. This idea mainly referred to the outbreak of wars in the Balkans, jeopardizing European security. At the same time, the European and Security Defense Policy became efficient with the launch of the operation Concordia in Macedonia and Artemis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Extraits

[...] Claude France Arnoud, OTAN et PESD deux structures qui se superposent ? Les Interviews de l'IRIS mars 2009, www.affaires- strategiques.info/spip.php?article882. Guide to the European Security and Defence Policy, p 4. Odile Perrot, Kosovo-EULEX Légitimité Technique et Ambitions Politiques de la Présence Européenne Ibid. [...]

[...] For the first time in 1989, during the operation in Namibia, CIVPOL was not anymore under the command of military power and became an independent component of the peace mission. With the intervention in Kosovo in 1999, Civilian Polices became central. After the Kosovo's war, the Serbian police left Kosovo, thus CIVPOL had to endorse this responsibility.[7] The implementation of police services is a good example of cooperation between civilian and military forces. Actually, it took a few months for UNMIK Police to be effective. [...]

[...] The point of this paper will be to understand the stakes of the involvement of the European Union in Kosovo. First, we will focus on the importance of civil military cooperation in Kosovo since the beginning of the international intervention in 1999 and then explain how the European Union became a central actor in Kosovo. The last point will be a discussion about the possible coexistence of NATO and a European strategy of defense, in the light of Kosovo's example Civil-military cooperation before the declaration of independence of Kosovo As a doctrine, the concept of civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) first emerged during the 1990's through operations led by NATO, which defined it as coordination and cooperation, in support of the mission, between NATO commanders and civil actors including national population and local authorities, as well as international, national and non-governmental organizations and agencies.”[4] During interventions in failed states, civil-military cooperation allows a better transition between the first stage, usually led by military powers, and the second part of the intervention, the reconstruction, directed by civil institutions and relief organizations. [...]

[...] In June 2000, during the Feira European Council, the civilian component of ESDP was created. As mentioned in the Guide to the European Security and Defence Policy, specific feature of the European Union crisis management is that it has both civilian and military dimensions and can therefore tailor the responses to each crisis situation in the best possible Since missions have been deployed, including 15 civilian operations. The most ambitious one is the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), which was launched in December 2008 but reached its full operational capability in April 2009. [...]

[...] On 19 October 2009, the KFOR commander, Lieutenant General Markus Bentler and the Head of the EULEX Mission Yves de Kermabon (himself former commander in chief of the KFOR) have expressed their intent to continue their strong cooperation. However, this point raise questions about coexistence of a full ESDP and the maintaining NATO The cooperation with NATO: an obstacle to the ESDP? Despite many breakthroughs in the construction of the European Defense, important thresholds exist, particularly concerning military capacities. The greater operations are directed by NATO according to the “Berlin-Plus” arrangements. [...]