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Security and Defence Days '08 Conference

Conference says – anticipate, collaborate, implement!

Speaking at the “Security & Defence Days 08”, senior figures reinforced the same message: in the face of a raft of security threats, global collaboration and cooperation were the only ways forward. First up was France’s Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie who emphasised the need to anticipate the likely threats of the next 20 years so an holistic approach could be agreed and developed; one that made citizens feel secure whilst retaining essential liberties. Alliot-Marie also saw a future where, depending on the type of conflict, the EU and NATO shared competencies; that led the Alliance’s Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry to say that the door (for US-Europe cooperation) had never been so wide open.

As much of the critical infrastructure in Europe was in private hands, Alliot-Marie also stressed the essential role of business, as it was much more than a supplier. Looking across the Atlantic, Dassault Aviation’s Vice President Eric Trappier argued that while the US had shown the way in “mastering defence technology”, he wanted many more EU countries to make an additional financial effort – especially in R&D, while Bruno Masnou, Key Account Leader France of EADS' Defence & Security Division regretted that the greater emphasis on Research & Technology was often done in a vacuum, and called for a link between research and actual usage on the ground. Towards the end of the conference, the same call for partnership was taken up by European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Jacques Barrot. Placing his priorities on border control, maritime security and the fight against cyber crime (including cyber attacks), the Commissioner called for greater collaboration between industry and the authorities. New solutions were needed, based on advanced technologies that were compatible with existing laws and values.

Closing the conference, Robert Schuman Foundation President Jean-Dominique Giuliani said that the way forward had to be European in nature. Security threats had to be faced but there would be “no Patriot Act in Europe”. All stakeholders had to show there was a European way – they had to go “further and faster”.

A full report will be released soon.
SDA Pandemic Preparedness debate

On November 13th, the SDA hosted a meeting of health and security experts to discuss how attention is being given to the disparity in risk analysis from both public and private sector actors engaged in pandemic preparedness throughout Europe.

Questions on the evening's agenda included:

What, if any, are the criteria being used? How are these criteria to be measured? What role does stockpiling play in the risk analysis process? What mechanisms should be used to ensure business continuity? And how can national governments lend assistance to the private sector in planning for business continuity?

For more information click here. A report on the evening's debate will be released shortly.

Experts debate Afghanistan's future

The SDA is proud to release the report of its recent roundtable looking at key questions defining Afghanistan’s future. The roundtable, held on October 6, was timely given Brigadier Carleton-Smith’s October declaration that “a decisive military victory” against the Taliban should not be expected.

 
SACEUR General John Craddock questioned whether NATO’s member nations’ political will matched the Alliance’s ambition. Given the many caveats that limited his forces’ options, he argued that the political will was “irresolute”. Stressing that the “comprehensive approach” meant that all international bodies had to work together, General Craddock insisted that the insurgency-funding narcotics trade was the prime target. With the Taliban earning millions of dollars per annum, there was no time to lose.


To download the report, please click here.

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The Security & Defence Agenda (SDA) is Brussels' leading security and defence think-tank. We are based in the Bibliothèque Solvay in the Parc Léopold next to the European Parliament.

The building houses the SDA team and serves as the venue for almost all SDA events in Brussels.


The SDA supports the NATO New Horizons project of the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), which seeks to stimulate debate by generating new ideas and thinking about the Alliance’s role in a changing global security environment, recognizing that NATO is a key component of today’s international security architecture.

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SDA's sister think-tank, Friends of Europe, is a prominent and lively Brussels-based think-tank for EU policy analysis and debate.