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European Union
EU Plan for Rapid Reaction Facility:
A Small but Important First Step
11 May 2000
The European Union, in a little noticed decision at its summit
meeting in Helsinki in December 1999, agreed to establish
a "Rapid Reaction Facility" (RRF) to expedite short-term deployment
of civilian resources to deal with natural disasters, conflict
prevention, and crisis management. The idea is to assure that
existing resources and experience the European Union has in
such functions as humanitarian missions, civil emergency assistance,
pacification, mediation, resettlement, and reconstruction
can be mobilized on short notice in response to a crisis.
In particular, the RRF would assure provision of services
like police, de-mining, crisis monitoring, decommissioning
and disarmament, and it would be linked to the EU common foreign
and security policy. In effect, this civilian rapid deployment
capability would complement EU plans to develop and independent
military capability that has stirred considerable discussion
in the United States.
European Commissioner Chris Patten outlined the civilian
concept on April 12. The text of the draft presented to the
European Parliament of a regulation to implement the plan
is posted below. It describes the concept and the organizational,
financing arrangements to bring into being this "non-military
crisis management mechanism."
The draft regulation sets limits for deployment in duration
(9 months) and cost (12 million euros). An explanatory memorandum
stipulates that there are "no geographical limits." The draft
regulation emphasizes cooperation with "relevant government
agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations,
and private or public operators…." The draft further
prescribes that deployment would be ordered only when the
mission could be readily transferred to other international
groups or the regular services of the European Union.
BASIC strongly supports the effort of the European Union
and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
both of which are trying to set up rapid civilian deployment
capabilities, though in different fashion. Sad experience
in the Balkans and elsewhere has demonstrated that military
forces are not suited to many peacekeeping tasks and that
the international community has woefully lagged in deploying
adequate civilian peacekeeping resources. Developing the means
to get civilian assets quickly to a crisis situation, both
to avert conflict, if possible, and to deal effectively with
post-conflict political, social, economic, and human rehabilitation
is crucial. But there are daunting problems of recruitment,
training, funding, and coordination of deployment and operations
that must be tackled. The EU proposal is a good but modest
start.
Official Proposal
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