The EU Defence Ministers Prepared the European Council’s Session

After the discussion, Minister of Defence Dr. Csaba Hende has informed the Hungarian journalists that they reviewed the effectiveness of the CSDP and the presently ongoing EU operations. They also touched upon the visibility of these operations to the wider public.

“We are continuously struggling, because the news about the NATO operations plays down the otherwise laudable results. Yet, either it comes to the Atalanta operation carried out near the Horn of Africa (…), or to the Bosnia-Herzegovina peace mission, the Althea, or to the Mali training mission, these all contribute to the stabilisation of the world, and thereby indirectly to the security of Europe." – Dr. Csaba Hende noted.

The third item included in the agenda of the Ministers’ meeting was enhancing the development of military capabilities and strengthening Europe’s defence industry – the Minister informed us. The Minister of Defence expects from the December summit that the EU heads of state and government will put the military aspect of security back into the limelight again, and will deal with it on its real value in the changed global security political situation, where the geopolitical centre of gravity and the attention of the United States is more and more shifting into the direction of the Asia-Pacific region.

Answering a question of MTI, Minister Hende said that the conventional “20th century" military threat, the danger of invasion or war is not present in Europe, but the cyber attacks and the pressure meant by the threats of possible missile attacks coming from the outside, the international terrorism or the illegal migration may raise questions, which need military, or partly military responses.

Following the EU meeting, the Defence Ministers of the V4 Countries had also a separate consultation, as earlier the Hungarian, the Polish, the Czech and the Slovak Heads of State entrusted them to work out a long-term strategy for a prospective common capability development. According to Dr. Csaba Hende the document on this topic will be made public next year in Visegrád. The Heads of Government then also decided on establishing a regular defence, training cooperation, connecting and harmonising the defence planning systems and conducting a common V4 military exercise every year. The Defence Ministers tried to determine the tasks, methods and timetable related to these goals. The four Visegrád countries will set up a common, 3000 strong EU battle group by 2016, which could take part in the EU operations.