Part 1: Implementation and exploitation of European satellite navigation system

COM(2011) 814 final

Part 2: “Tackling Crime in our Digital Age: Establishing a European Cybercrime Centre”

COM(2012) 140 final

A meeting of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) took place on 25 April 2012, chaired by MEP Norica Nicolai (ALDE). This update includes coverage of an exchange of views on two different reports by the European Commission.

Part 1: The role of the Common Security and Defence Policy in case of climate-driven crises and natural disasters

Part 2: Implementation of the Single European Sky legislation

The morning session of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), which took place on April 26^th, focused on the role of the CSDP in climate-driven crises and natural disasters, and on the implementation of the Single European Sky legislation. This Parliamentary Update will cover the exchange of views between MEPs Cronberg (Greens/EFA), Kirilov (S&D), Lisek (EPP), Lösing (GUE/NGL), Paleckis (S&D), Tarand (Greens/EFA) and Zemke (S&D), and Mr. Umberto Rossi, Military Adviser of the Commission. The session was chaired by Vice-President MEP Norica Nicolai (ALDE).

This Parliamentary Update covers the latest meeting of the European Parliament Subcommittee on human rights (DROI) chaired by MEP Barbara Lochbihler (Green/European Free Alliance), on 12 April 2012. The meeting focused on the issue of the protection of human rights in the fight against terrorism, with an exchange of views with Mr. Juan Méndez and Mr. Ben Emmerson, United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Torture and other cruel inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment, and on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Mr. Gerald Staberock, Secretary General of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Mr. Clive Stafford Smith, Director of Reprieve, an organisation dedicated to the enforcement of prisoners’ human rights.

A meeting of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) took place on 20 March 2012, chaired by MEP Arnaud Danjean. This update includes coverage of an exchange of views with Alexander Rondos, EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, and with Rear Admiral Duncan L. Potts, Operation Commander, EUNAVFOR Somalia-Operation Atalanta

This Parliamentary Update will cover the afternoon session of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) on 20 March 2012 where an exchange of views with Major General Marcel Druart, Director of Operations Division, International Military Staff, NATO, was held on Libya and the lessons learned for European military capabilities.

The European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) reconvened on 28 February 2012 to discuss principally security in Libya and the European Union’s Internal Security Strategy. The discussion on the state of play of civilian missions under CSDP was postponed to a later date, due to the absence of Hansjörg Haber, Civilian Operations Commander and Director of CPCC. The report below outlines the proceedings of the meeting.

The second meeting of the year of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) took place on 9 February 2012. In the absence of MEP Arnaud Danjean, MEP Norica Nicolai acted as Chair. This update includes coverage of an exchange of views with Hansjoerg Haber, Civilian Operations Commander, and Brigadier General Laszlo Huszar, Head of Mission, on the progress of EUJUST LEX-Iraq mission, and an exchange of views with Ambassador Theodor H. Winkler, Director of DCAF, on the Role of the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

The European Parliament welcomed the first Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) meeting of the year on 25 January 2012. After overseeing the election of the Chair and Vice Chairs, the sitting witnessed an exchange of views from Ambassador Walter Stevens, head of the CMPD, on the activation of the EU Operations Centre and the planning and conduct of the operations of the CSDP missions in the Horn of Africa; and General Ton van Osch, Director General of the EUMS, on the activities of the EU Military Staff. The report below outlines the proceedings of the meeting.

This update covers the Human Rights (DROI) Subcommittee meeting on an open debate on "Follow-up to UNSC resolution 1820 concerning women, peace and security".

This update includes coverage of the Plenary Session of the European Parliament that took place on 11 May in Strasbourg, on review of Common Security and Foreign Policy (CFSP) and the situation in Syria, including statements from HR/VP Ashton and the Presidents of the EP political groups. Also presentation of reports from MEP Albertini on CFSP; MEP Gualtieri on Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and MEP Muniz De Urquiza on the EU as a Global Actor.

This update covers an exchange of views with Cornelius Adebahr (German Council on Foreign Relations) on the role and scope of EU Special Representatives (EUSRs) after Lisbon and within the European External Action Service (EEAS).

This update includes coverage of an exchange of views with Samuel Žbogar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, on the work of the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) and other issues, as well as an exchange of views with Pieter De Crem, Minister of Defence of Belgium, on the achievements in CSDP during the second half of 2010.

This update covers an exchange of views with Ad Melkert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Iraq.

This update reports on a Public Hearing on 2 December 2010 on "Migratory Flows Arising from Instability - Scope and Role of EU Foreign Policy" organised by the Committee on Foreign Affairs in association with the Committee on Development. Presentations were given by Robertus Rozenburg, Head of Unit for Migration, European Commission - DG-DEV; Bernard Brunet, Deputy Head of Unit for the Maghreb, European Commission – DG RELEX; Paola Pace, Acting Head of the International Migration Law Unit, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva; and Enrique Mora Benavente, Director of the Policy Planning Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain.

This update covers an exchange of views with Taïb Fassi-Fihri, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Morocco, on the recent incidents in Western Sahara.

This update covers an exchange of views with Pieter Feith, EU Special Representative in Kosovo, which took place on 2 December 2010 in the European Parliament’s AFET Committee.

This update includes coverage of the public hearing on “A Missile Defence System for Europe: The Challenges”, structured in interactive panels to reflect views from the US (Robert Bell, US Secretary of Defence Representative in Europe, and Defence Advisor within the US Mission to NATO); Russia (Ambassador Dmitry Rogozin, Permanent Representation of the Russian Federation to NATO) and NATO HQ (Roberto Zadra, Deputy Head of NATO WMD Centre). Comment followed by Dr. Camille Grand, Director of Fondation pour la Recherche Strategique, France.

This update covers an exchange of views with Mohamed Salem Ouldsalek, Representative of the Polisario Front in charge of external relations, on the recent incidents in Western Sahara.

Following the meeting of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) on 29 November, this update includes coverage of an exchange of views with the SEDE Delegation to EU NAVFOR Atalanta and an exchange of views with Klees Klompenhouwer, Civilian Operations Commander, Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC); Colonel Alain Faugeras, Head of Mission of EUBAM Rafah; and Commissioner Henrik Malmquist, Head of Mission of EUPOL COPPS, on the EU missions under Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in the Palestinian Territories.

This update covers the joint meeting of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), and the Human Rights (DROI) Subcommittee on an open debate of the study “Implementation of EU policies following the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325”, commissioned by DROI and presented to the Committees by Giji Gya, Executive Director of ISIS Europe. The focal point of this update is the exchange of views with experts from the Council, the United Nations and NGOs in the context of the 10th Anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution/UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

This update covers an exchange of views with Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/ Vice-President of the Commission.

This update includes coverage of the exchange of views with Gilles de Kerchove, EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator;  Manuel Lopez Blanco, Director, DG Development, European Commission and Cecilia Ruthström-Ruin, Chief, Terrorism Prevention Branch, UNODC, on the security challenges in the Sahel region.

This update includes of the exchange of views with General Hakan Sirén, Chairman of the EU Military Committee; Irakli Porchkhidze, Deputy General of the National Security Council of Georgia; Klees Klompenhouwer, Civilian Operations Commander (CPCC) and Ambassador Hansjörg Haber, Head of Mission EUMM Georgia, on the activities of the EU Military Committee and the EU Monitoring Mission to Georgia (EUMM).

This update includes coverage of the exchange of views with Jamie Shea, Director, Policy Planning, NATO; Jean-François Bureau, Assistant Secretary General, NATO; H.E. Boguslaw W. Winid, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Poland to NATO and H.E. Pascale Andréani, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of France to NATO, on NATO’s new Strategic Concept as well as the first exchange of views with MEP Christian Ehler, Rapporteur for a SEDE report on Civilian-military cooperation and the development of civilian-military capabilities (EPP) on Civilian-military cooperation and the development of civilian-military capabilities.

This update includes coverage of an exchange of views held with Ms. Annalisa Giannella, Council Secretariat Director for non proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, on the 2010 NPT Review Conference and a debriefing by MEPs Saryusz-Wolski and Tannock on the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Riga.

This update includes coverage of the exchange of views with Klees Klompenhouwer, Civilian Operations Commander, CPCC; Yves de Kermabon, Head of EULEX Kosovo; General Sir John McColl, Operation Commander, EUFOR Althea; and Brigadier General Stefan Feller, Head of EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This update includes coverage of an exchange of views with Klees Klompenhouwer, Civilian Operations Commander, CPCC; Yves de Kermabon, Head of EULEX Kosovo; General Sir John McColl, Operation Commander,
EUFOR Althea; and Brigadier General Stefan Feller, Head of EU Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina on EULEX Kosovo, EUFOR Althea and EUPM Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This update includes coverage of an exchange of views on the European External Action Service (EAS) jointly with delegations from national parliaments; Ambassador Poul Skytte Christoffersen, Special Advisor of the High Representative; MEP Elmar Brok, AFET rapporteur for the EAS; MEP Guy Verhofstadt, AFCO rapporteur for the EAS; and Irene Souka, Director-General, DG Human Resources and Security at the European Commission

This update includes coverage of the Public Hearing “EU Civil-Military Cooperation: A Comprehensive Approach" on 26 April 2010. 

This update includes coverage of the exchange of views held with HR/VP Catherine Ashton on the setting up of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 22-23 March 2010. 

This update covers the exchange of views held with MEP Elmar Brok on preparations for the European External Action Service (EEAS) on 17 March 2010.

This update includes coverage of the exchange of views with experts on the EU's approach towards Iran, held jointly with the delegation for relations with Iran on 17 March 2010.

This update includes coverage of the exchange of views held on 17 March 2010 with Lieutenant General David Leakey, Director General of the EU Military Staff (EUMS), on the latest activities undertaken by the EUMS in CSDP.

Following the meeting of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) on 4 March, this update includes coverage of exchange of views with Carme Chacón, Defence Minister of Spain (jointly with the Committee on Foreign Affairs).

Following the meeting of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) on 4 March 2010, this update includes the coverage of the exchange of views with experts on violence against women in armed conflict, with a particular focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Following the meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) on 4 February, this update includes the coverage of the exchange of views with Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, on foreign policy priorities during the Spanish Presidency and the results of the General Affairs and Foreign Affairs Councils of 25-26 January 2010 .

Following the meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) on 27 January, this update includes the coverage of the public hearing on “The role of the EU in frozen conflicts (focused on South Caucasus and Transnistria)”and the presentation of report “An EU strategy for the South Caucasus”.

ISIS Europe regularly provides updates of Committee sittings in the European Parliament. In this joint AFET-SEDE sitting, MEPs conducted an exchange of views with Madeleine Albright, Former US Secretary of State and Chair of the Group of Experts advising NATO Secretary General Fogh Anders Rasmussen on the new NATO Strategic Concept and with Jeroen van der Veer, Former President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Vice-Chair of the Group of Experts.