European External Action Service

10/05/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/05/2023 04:19

EU MILITARY COMMITTEE: CHAIRMAN GENERAL BRIEGER´S VISIT TO BELGIUM

Brussels (Belgium), 3 Oct 2023- General Robert Brieger, Chairman of the EU Military Committee (CEUMC), met with Admiral Michel Hofman, in Brussels as part of his plan to engage with all the Chiefs of Defence of the 27 EU Member States, during his mandate. It had been a long time since a Chairman of the EUMC paid an official visit to the Host Nation.

Relevant topics of discussion were the state of play and way forward for the implementation of the Strategic Compass, the bilateral security and defence agenda in view of Belgium´s EU Council Presidency, and the situation in Africa, and Sahel in particular. Belgian military authorities also presented the key tenets and strands of their transformation effort, which includes a notable aspect of joint procurement and collaboration with neighbouring and transatlantic partners.

"On top of these outstanding issues - added Gen Brieger to complete the scenario - the number of pressing challenges needing military inputs and involvement is steadily increasing for new domains such as Space and Cyber, which need joint answers. Same requirement goes for maritime security, the review of EU military requirements for capability development, and the implementation of the EU´s Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC)".

Concerning the latter, during the conversation it was recalled the ongoing LIVEX in Spain (a first for the EU), the one in 2024, and in the following years, in view of EU RDC Full Operational Capability in 2025. In this regard, in his steady leveraging EU Member States' contribution, the CEUMC recalled that Force Generation remains a key element to provide credibility to the project. Suitable chain of command and communication system represent the other two major requirements.

About generation of assets/personnel, EU - NATO relations and complementarity were also discussed, with the need to consider the well-recognised "single set of forces" principle from a flexible point of view.

Gen Brieger and Adm Hofman analysed together also the situation in Ukraine, in terms of EU financial support, but also about the proposal by High Representative Josep Borrell, to increase the level of the overall training target of EUMAM Ukraine to 40,000 soldiers in the period to come.

Not less relevant, the worrisome situation in Sahel and - more widely - in Africa was also debated, highlighting the need for an overall political guidance, a clear strategy, and a consequent, possible need to adapt the mandates of CSDP missions and operations.

"We are at a critical turning point of credibility for the EU security and defense ambitions. It is time to deliver - said General Brieger - and this can be achieved only if we all join our forces, coherently, committed and in complementarity."

The bilateral meeting was also the occasion to visit the 15th Wing Air transport, a vital asset for the Belgian Defense, where the new Airbus A400 is deployed, potentially available for supporting EU military initiatives too.

"We are truly grateful for what the Kingdom of Belgium is offering to the EU, in terms of hospitality to its institutions, but also to what it can provide, supporting the project of the EU as a security partner and enabler," concluded the CEUMC fare welling Adm Hofman.