Security Sector Governance and European Integration

Pál Dunay

Geneva Centre for Security Policy

The Emergence of the Problem

• Security sector reform is typically a post-Cold War phenomenon.

• Militaries and their alliances used to apply a narrow definition of security, largely identifying it with defence.

• Other organisations, including economic integrations, had no security agenda.

The Emergence of the Problem (2)

• The change that has brought about the emergence of security sector governance entails a number of elements:- The changing concept of security after the Cold War.- The growing irrelevance of traditional threats in the European context.- The emergence of a large number of democratising countries.

Internationalisation

• The emerging topic has neither been on NATO’s, nor on EU’s agenda.- Slow and gradual departure from the narrow definition of security. (Change in the function of the armed forces.)- No democratisation acquis in the EU (tri-pillar EU is brand new).►Innovative solution to address the problem.

NATO’s Belated Reaction (Challenges of Defence Reform)

• Democratic civilian control of the military,• Commitment to and respect for OSCE

norms and principles, inc. resolution of territorial and ethnic disputes,

• Commitment to economic liberty and social justice,

• Committing adequate resources to achieve political and military integration with the Alliance.

The EU’s Ambiguous Reaction(The Copenhagen Criteria (1993))

• Conditional acceptance by the EU of eventual membership of the CEECs:

• - stable institutions (guarantee of democracy, rule of law, human rights, minority rights),

• - functioning market economy,• - capability to cope with competitive pressures

inside the EU,• - ability to adopt the acquis (accepted aims of

political, economic and monetary union).

The Detour of Civilian Control

• The detour of civilian control of the military proved unnecessary.- Political control was not unfamiliar to East-

central Europe,

From civilian control to military reform.- Military reform as a promise,- The unimportance of military reform in the

accession process of 1999,- Revision for the accession of 2004.

The Changing EU Agenda and Its Incorporation in the Enlargement

Process• The new, primarily internal security

agenda formed integral part of the EU particularly after 1997.- Transparent and democratic governance, the democratic control of security services, respect for human rights.- Contribution to the common security effort of the EU (Schengen regime, police cooperation).

The challenge to the EU acquis

• Capacity-building in fighting illegal immigration, smuggling and other cross-border problems.

(each new member-state has external border, except for the Czech Republic).

• Internal security is a continuum – its various elements have to be addressed.

• The problem of corruption.

New Frontiers

• Diminution of concerns – shift to the neighbours.

• „Empire thinking”: Pacify and consolidate the members and then expand stability further through engagement. (Influence without the prospect of membership?)

- Conditionality: E.g. readmission agreements, safe third countries, etc.

Conclusions

• Security sector governance is traditionally a domestic matter.

• With integration and its anticipation the function of foreign affairs has changed: It is increasingly about influencing the domestic political course of countries.

• Increasingly concrete requirements (e.g. SAA with Albania and Macedonia) have included measures to improve access to justice and police practices and official accountability before the law.

Conclusions (2)

• Increasingly concrete requirements. National strategies and reporting. (1997-2002)

• From the abstract to the measurable to the non-measurable.

• No anticipation of delivery in the accession process.

• National programmes in the new neighbourhood policy. (Moldova, Ukraine)