The Operational Capabilities within the Common Security and Defense Policy of the European Union

The Operational Capabilities within the Common Security and Defense Policy of the European Union Articleis devoted to the topical issue on the development one of the areas of European integration and related problems. At the XXI century theEuropean Union (EU) are still facing many security threats. At the same time the EU is trying to become more influential political actor inthe international stage that pushes European countries to actively develop the capacities of the Common Security and Defence Policy(CSDP). However, this process is accompanied by challenging and controversial issues, among which the creation of the operationalcapabilities of the EU is. The article describes the evolution of this issue within the closely related military and integrated structures inEurope. The paper presents an analysis on the development of the CSDP command and planning structures emphasizing the formation of theoperational capabilities for the EU. The process of their creation is divided into two time periods of the European Union existence. Beforethe fateful meeting in Saint-Malo the EU relied on the strategic opportunities of the Western European Union (WEU). By the mid-1990s. inaddition to the establishment of the planning and command structures at the strategic level, the WEU was given an access to the operationalcapabilities of its member countries and NATO. However, the question about the future strategic and operational capacity of the EU emergeddue to integration the WEU into the European Union. The dialogue initiated by the United Kingdom and France in 1998, led to the creationof CSDP emphasizing Unions intention to autonomous action at the international arena. For this purpose at the beginning of XXI centurythere are the institutionalization of CSDP at a strategic level and the EU's steps to develop an integrated crisis management concept. Toguarantee the same operational capabilities the EU adopted a model of the WEU, expressed on the one hand by the concept of frameworknation and on the other hand through a joint mechanism with NATO Berlin Plus. However the supranational character of CSDP,challenging international environment and the pursuit of individual EU Member-States to deepen political integration has given rise to thethird approach, summed up in the idea of creating a permanent EU Operational Headquarter. The article highlights the general contradictionsbetween the EU Member-States related to this issue and examines the prospects of its possible solutions in the future. In this respect, it isconcluded that the establishment of a permanent EU Operational Headquarter is a logical continuation of the Unions policy. At the sametime the shift marked at the positions of many EU countries in support of the European project gives hope for its progressive decision despiteobjections from the United Kingdom and NATO.

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