THE MOTIVATION FOR INITIATING

THE PROCESS OF ELABORATING THE

STRATEGIC COMPASS AND THE
EVOLUTION OF THE NEGOTIATIONS

Nemțov Miodrag-Sava
 The process of drafting the document that we now call the Strategic Compass was the result
of two directions: one national and one European. We have on the one hand the national or state
level - the main actors involved in introducing this topic on the agenda were the member states
of the European Union. They decided in June 2020 at the Security and Defense Council, the
beginning of the process of reflection on the Strategic Compass, which to be approved by the
European Council in March 2022.
The document, adopted in the summer of 2020, outlines the current state of the security
environment and why such an approach is needed from the European Union: "The EU is facing
an already difficult international environment, in which the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic
risks exacerbating the fragility and tensions that exist worldwide. (…) The EU remains
committed to enhancing its capacity to act as a security provider through its operational
involvement, in particular through CSDP missions and operations, to strengthen its resilience and
preparedness to address effectively address all security threats and challenges, as well as to step
up the development of the necessary capabilities. In doing so, the EU will increase its strategic
autonomy and ability to cooperate with partners to protect its values and interests. "
At the same time: "The strategic compass will define policy guidelines as well as specific
targets and objectives in areas such as crisis management, resilience, capacity building and
partnerships". This communication also mentions the institutional steps that will be followed in
the process of initiating, elaborating and implementing the Strategic Compass: "Invites the High
Representative, in close cooperation with the Member States and on the basis of their input, to
present by the end of 2020, through the Single Information Analysis Capability, a comprehensive
360-degree analysis of the full range of threats. and challenges, which will be the framework for
Member States to develop a Strategic Compass document to be adopted by the Council in 2022.
The Commission and the European Defense Agency will be involved, if necessary, in this
process. "
We note that this document is very clear both in mentioning the main features of the security
environment in which this strategy will operate and in the steps required in its elaboration by
decision-makers.
I would also like to emphasize, also related to the national or state level, the joint effort of the
Trio of Presidents started by Germany in July 2020, continued by Portugal in the first part of
2021 and completed by Slovenia in December 2021. One of the priorities of this trio was to
ensure "the EU's strategic autonomy through a dynamic industrial policy". The joint document of
the three Presidencies also explicitly states that: "(…), The trio of Presidents will give their full
support to the work led by the High Representative with a view to drawing up a 'strategic
compass'. A joint threat analysis will underpin this strategic dialogue, which will help make
progress towards a common political understanding and a planning and development of defense
capabilities that are more focused on achieving the objectives. "
Therefore, we can see that all three states have managed to get involved in achieving this
goal, as they set out in the joint program. The strategic compass is due to be adopted at the
European Council in March 2022, which is a significant goal of the mandate of the French
Presidency and the Trio it is initiating.
On the other hand, we have the European level - from this perspective the material represents
the continuation of the initiatives started in 2016 through the EU Global Strategy. In its June
2020 Communication, the Council referred to this strategy and the need to continue its work at
the time: "The Council emphasizes the need to move forward with all the initiatives launched
and tasks entrusted since 2016 as a follow-up to the EU Global Strategy."
It should be noted that in this document the phrase strategic autonomy was used, as an
objective towards which the European Union aims. Another European document that was used in
the development of the Strategic Compass was the EU Security Union Strategy.
Therefore, if we ask ourselves who is involved in drafting the document, we can identify at
European level: the Council of the European Union, the Commission, the High Representative of
the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Moreover, in her September 2019
presentation of the composition of her team, Ursula von der Leyen said that she would lead a
Geopolitical Commission: "My commission will be a Geopolitical Commission dedicated to
sustainable policies."
At the same time, Member States are encouraged to participate constantly (by providing
suggestions and comments) in drawing up the final form of the document. If we look at the
decision-making process that has taken place all this time for the adoption of the Strategic
Compass, we will see, as Cian FitzGerald observes, that we are dealing with both a top-down
and a bottom-up process. up. This two-dimensional approach can contribute to a larger support
for the content of the Strategic Compass from the actors involved in its approval and
implementation. As Mark Leonard points out, during the tenure of US President Donald Trump,
there have been three approaches within the EU: that of France, which wants to raise its EU
profile, Poland, which opts for "strategic servitude" through close cooperation with the US and
the acquisition of weapons here, and Germany showing “strategic patience ”.
Following the start of the process, as is the case when developing a strategy, the analysis and
threat phase of the context in which this document is being developed followed. This was the
first such European analysis in EU history. At this stage, the actors involved were the Single
Information Analysis Capability (SIAC), which is part of the European External Action Service,
and the civilian and military intelligence services of the Member States, which provided an
analysis of security threats through at the national level, as well as the European Union Satellite
Center (SatCen).
Based on the four priorities identified by the Council in June 2020: 1. crisis management; 2.
resilience; 3. capacity building; 4. partnerships; this threat analysis was developed and then
presented to Member States' intelligence services for comments and suggestions. Although this
study is not public, there is a document from the External Action Service which outlines its most
important directions. On the one hand, two levels of threat are described: the global and the
regional level, and on the other hand a separate category is identified: threats to the EU, which
refers to the source of threats, and state and non-state actors that would could be involved in
aggressive activities.
This was followed by consultation with Member States and the launch of a Strategic Dialogue
in early 2021, in which the European External Action Service contributed material entitled A
document defining its scope: preparing the Strategic Compass. According to him, the first part of
the Strategic Compass will outline the threats and challenges facing the EU and highlight how it
"contributes to the development of a common European culture of security and defense, based on
the EU's common values and objectives". The main section of the document mentions six main
sections of the Strategic Compass. The first is a general section (in which they are presented /
evaluated threats and challenges, as well as strategic planning), followed by crisis management
and resilience (sections detailing some of the challenges), and the final sections mention
capabilities and partnerships as tools needed to achieve the proposed objectives.
This phase of the consultations focused on the substantial involvement of Member States, the
European Union Institute for Security Studies and other think tanks, the European Commission
and the European Defense Agency (EEA) in drafting the document. Following these discussions
with a wide range of actors, including those in civil society, the High Representative developed a
first form of the Strategic Compass which he presented to the Member States in November 2021
and outlined the strategic objectives for the next five to at ten years old. At a joint session of EU
foreign and defense ministers, the Council exchanged views on the Strategic Compass, which
they supported and want to adopt in March 2022.
In the document A strategic compass to turn Europe into a security provider, the European
Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said that the
purpose of this strategic compass was to enable the European Union. : "To become a security
provider for its citizens, protecting our values and interests" and to prevent the risk of "strategic
restraint". We can say that the main objective of the Strategic Compass is to contribute to a more
coherent and politically motivated approach to issues in the security and defense sectors. From
this perspective, the Strategic Compass:
"1. provides a joint assessment of our strategic environment, the threats and challenges we face
and their consequences for the EU;
2. Brings a greater degree of coherence and common purpose to security and defense actions that
are already under way;
3. Establishes new ways and means to improve our collective capacity to defend the security of
our citizens and the Union;
4. specify precise objectives and steps for measuring progress. "
And the methods by which will do this are:
1. faster action;
2. ensuring the security of citizens in the face of threats;
3. investments in capabilities and technologies;
4. building partnerships.

Following this presentation, on 30 November 2021, the European Parliament's Subcommittee

on Security and Defense (SEDE) met to discuss the current state of play. Thus, we note that all
European institutions are involved in this process, a testament to the broad support that this
initiative enjoys.
In this paper I have tried to present how the initiation of the process leading to the adoption of
the EU Strategic Compass evolved, who were the actors who contributed to this initiative, in its
different stages of evolution and how the negotiations between the actors from European level
and those at national level. We can say that the adoption of the Strategic Compass shows the firm
commitment of a more coherent and dynamic position of the Member States in ensuring greater
cohesion and solidarity in the face of present and future threats to their security in an
increasingly competitive and fragmented international environment.
Webography

- https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/foreword_-
_a_strategic_compass_to_make_europe_a_security_provider.pdf
- https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-5986-2021-INIT/en/pdf
- https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/
2020_11_20_memo_questions_and_answers_-_threat_analsysis_-_copy.pdf
- https://ecfr.eu/article/
commentary_the_makings_of_a_geopolitical_european_commission/
- https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/eugs_review_web_0.pdf
-