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ISIS Europe Publications

Through its publications, the “European Security Review” and “CSDP Notes”, ISIS Europe contributes to the debate on the future of CSDP. Regular “Parliamentary Updates” covering European Parliament meetings on security and defence improve the transparency and accountability of security organisations in Brussels.

European Security Review

ESR 65 - Upholding the Legitimacy of Frontex: European Parliamentary Oversight - March 2013 - March, 2013
esr65 - Frontex - AS.pdf

The activities of the EU border control agency, Frontex, have increasingly drawn the attention of the public, as it is sometimes portrayed as a threat to the EU core principles of democracy, transparency and human rights. This review highlights the need for an oversight mechanism, which may restore public faith in Frontex to legitimately carry out its duties in manner conducive to EU core values. The prevailing challenges to fulfilling this need are reviewed, along with the related activity of the European Parliament and the way forward for Frontex in accordance with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Conclusively, it is submitted that a greater level of European Parliamentary oversight as a means to improve transparency is a solution to the accountability issue linked to border control.
ESR 64 - The EU's strategy for the Sahel: a new turn in EU external action? - January, 2013
esr64_SahelStrategy_Jan2013MH.pdf

 

The EU’s recent adoption of the “Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel” (March 2011) and of the “EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa” (November 2011) under the new institutional setup of the European External Action Service (EEAS) may be regarded as an indicator of a new “way to do things” in terms of European foreign, security and defence policy. This article focuses on the characteristics of the Sahel Strategy, and in particular, on the security chapter of the comprehensive strategy for the Sahel, in order to shed light on the factors that determine this new trend. For that purpose, a comparison is drawn between, this Strategy and the Strategy for the Horn of Africa, and the possibility of widening the Operations Centre’s geographical scope to the Sahel is considered.  

ISIS Reports

EU research and innovation Policy and the future of the Commonon Foreign and Security Policy (October 2006) - October, 2006
reports_12.pdf
annexes to EU research and innovation Policy and the future of the Commonon Foreign and Security Policy - October, 2006
reports_11.pdf

European Parliament

Parliamentary Update no. 29 on NATO perspectives on European defence (Foreign Affairs Committee & Security and Defence Subcommittee/AFET-SEDE) - 6 May 2013 - May, 2013
epupdate-AFETSEDE-6may13EM.pdf

 

The following Parliamentary Update covers the European Parliament’s afternoon session on NATO’s perspective of the future of European Defence that was jointly held by the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) in the presence of representatives from the National Parliaments on May 6th 2013. The meeting included an exchange of views between MEPs and Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO.
Parliamentary Update no. 30 on EU and NATO Defence Capabilities - 7 May 2013 - May, 2013
epupdate-NATO delegation - 7May - EM.pdf

The following Parliamentary Update covers the European Parliament's session of the Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on EU and NATO defence capabilities in light of the upcoming December European Council. The discussion included an exchange of views between MEPs and Brigadier General Walter Huhn, Senior Military Advisor at CMPD, Professor Sven Biscop, Egmont Institute Brussels and mr. Timo Koster, Director for Defence Policy and Capabilities, Defence Policy and Planning Division, NATO.

Conference papers

ISIS Conference Review no2 - On the road with CSDP - November, 2012
MH Confreview2-30Oct2012.pdf

 

Cyprus EU Presidency Seminar

« On the road with CSDP »

30 October, 2012

 

Common perceptions, joint efforts and further integration are the primary requisites for the EU to foster its role of «security provider».  If the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty defined an ambitious role for the EU in the world and aimed at improving its ability to assert its influence and power beyond its borders, the momentum created is now being torpedoed by an increased focus on the financial crisis and debates over the necessity of a fiscal and political union. While defence budgets and external support (i.e. from the US) are decreasing, perceived common challenges and threats are on the rise and get closer and closer to the EU. The optimism of the immediate post-Lisbon era has given space to a feeling of sustained pressure over national defence budgets, EU military capabilities, and over the Union’s capacity and preparedness to promote international security. As ambitious aspirations have come to face reality, neither the Member States nor the EU seem, yet, clearly committed to the path of further integration to foster CSDP.  
ISIS Conference Review no1 - Innovative European Defence Cooperation - Pooling & Consolidating Demand - September, 2012
MH confreview1-19sept2012.pdf

 

Cyprus EU Presidency Seminar

« Innovative European Defence Cooperation – Pooling & Consolidating demand »

19 September, 2012

ISIS Europe attended the Cyprus EU Presidency Seminar organised by the 2012 Cyprus Presidency, in partnership with the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations and the European Defence Agency on: «Innovative European Defence Cooperation – Pooling and Consolidating Demand». The event was opened and introduced by Sven Biscop, Director of the European in the World Programme at Egmont, Ambassador Dominique Struye, Diplomatic Advisor to the Minister of Defence of Belgium, Demetris Eliades, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, and Claude-France Arnould, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA). 

Other articles

Security in the Sahel: Regional Initiatives in Pursuit of Long-Term Stability - April, 2013
Security in the Sahel_Atlantic Community Memo.pdf

Following our Parliamentary Update (8 April 2013) on the discussion held at the European Parliament with UN Special Envoy for the Sahel Romano Prodi, ISIS Europe is delighted to publish the following thought-provoking paper by the Atlantic Community open think-tank on the security situation in the Sahel region at their request. Feedback on the Memo has been provided by Dr. Thomas Bagger, Head of the Policy Planning Staff of Germany's Federal Foreign Office, which you can read here
Medical Supplies Procurement: State of Affairs within the EU - March 2013 - March, 2013
ISIS Europe ESDA Italia Occasional Paper - Medical Supplies Procurement - MH - March 2013.pdf

Medical equipment to support civilian and military Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations as well as humanitarian aid operations undertaken by the European Union (EU), are a critical component of the EU’s capacity to act beyond its borders in an effective and timely manner. Nevertheless, little research and analysis have, so far, been made on the state of affairs of the Union’s procurement of medical supplies. The present report attempts to fill the existing gap by adopting an approach focused on medical supplies procurement standards and procedures across the range of EU external activities and by analysing the potential for increased cooperation and coordination, notably through the European Defence Agency (EDA).

This Occasional Paper was published jointly by ISIS Europe and ESDA Italia.
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