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EU Military Staff/Military Planning and Conduct Capability: Speech by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the handover ceremony

European External Action Service (EEAS)

28.06.2023
EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!

Excellencies, Chairman of the European Union Military Committee [Gen. Robert Brieger], military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

I am very pleased to be here today, as we witness the handover ceremony of the Director-General of the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) and Director of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), Vice-Admiral Hervé Bléjean to his successor Lieutenant-General Michiel van der Laan.

It is a great pleasure to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous contribution of Vice-Admiral Bléjean during these three years in this function, and to thank him for his contribution to advancing the European Union's security and defence agenda.

When Vice-Admiral Bléjean took office in July 2020, we were in the middle of a global pandemic. Three years after, we are witnessing a high intensity brutal war waged by Russia against Ukraine at the Europe's doorstep.

All of a sudden, concepts such as security and defence are no longer something abstract for our citizens. They have become very real and very close to us. And, logically, security and defence have climbed to the top of the political agenda.

Russia's aggression against Ukraine has made it even more evident that we live in a world shaped by power politics. We said, some time ago, "Europe is in danger", and now, it looks much more evident.

We live in a world where everything can be weaponised. When security acquires new and multiple dimensions: food security, economic security, [or] climate security. The word 'security' is being accompanied by many others to represent the complexity of our world.

A world where we are constantly confronted with a battle of narratives and offers.

This applies not only to our Eastern border; it applies everywhere. Look to the South, and we will see worrying spots of political, economic and environmental instability that threaten our security, providing a fertile ground for terrorism and organised crime.

If you look at the security landscape, the conclusion is obvious: making the European Union a more capable security provider and strengthening the European Union defence is no longer something optional that you can do or not. It is a necessity.

It is a complete necessity. And history shows us that in the midst of the most difficult crises, the European Union makes the biggest leaps forward.

This has also been the case of the European Union's security and defence agenda in the last years. And this was also thanks to Vice-Admiral Bléjean's leadership and determination.

Let us look at what happened in February 2022, when a few days after Russia's aggression [against Ukraine], we adopted the first package of €500 million of military support for Ukraine under the European Peace Facility (EPF).

And so, for the first time ever, the European Union decided to provide lethal support to a country under attack to enable it to defend [itself].

And 16 months after, we have adopted seven - and hopefully another one [soon], eight - support packages, for a value of €3.6 billion, plus an ammunition package of €2 billion, which makes a total of €5.6 billion. And this has incentivised the delivery by Member States, from their side, bilaterally to Ukraine, of over €11 billion of military support from Member States to Ukraine.

On doing that, we have launched a new military mission, which is the most ambitious European Union training mission that we [have] ever set up, [and] that has already trained 24,000 Ukrainian soldiers in less than eight months.

And we have been able to do all this thanks to the unity of the Member States - to the unity of 27 Member States - because unanimity is required to adopt all these decisions. But it is also thanks to the hard work of Vice Admiral Bléjean and his team.

Ladies and gentlemen, our security and defence agenda goes beyond our support to Ukraine.

Let us remember that in March 2022, just one month after Ukrainians were attacked by Russia, the European Union adopted the Strategic Compass, our plan of action to strengthen our security and defence policy by 2030, in which we had been working intensively much before we could ever imagine that the war was coming to our borders. We did not know this was going to happen, but we were working on this plan, which today is more important than ever because some of the challenges we were envisaging have become reality.

With that plan, we have put forward concrete proposals for a more effective operational engagement, for a stronger European Union posture on the Maritime, Cyber and Space domains, for more investment in defence cooperation, and for strengthening security and defence partnerships.

And with Vice-Admiral Bléjean at its helm, the European Union Military Staff played a crucial role in pushing for progress in all these areas. With its over 200 military active-duty officers - some of you present here - men and women in uniform coming from the 27 Member States, the European Union Military Staff is a unique source of military expertise at the European Union level.

There cannot be a stronger European Union defence, and no real Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) without a stronger European Union Military Staff within the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Three years ago, the Military Planning and Conduct Capability was the operational headquarters for three European Union training missions. Now, this Military Planning and Conduct Capability exercises command and control functions on six of them - twice the number of three years ago.

Again, under your military leadership, dear [Vice-]Admiral Bléjean, three new military missions were launched: on Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) - I talked about it already -, new training mission in Mozambique (EUTM Mozambique), and a new partnership mission in Niger (EUMPM Niger). We are now working to step up our engagement in the Gulf of Guinea, on the coastal states where terrorism, coming from the Sahel, is arriving.

Yes, we can say we have made enormous progress compared to 5-10 years ago, but let's recognise also that we still have a long way to go in front of us.

Looking ahead, Ukraine will remain at the centre and at the front of our discussions, but there is also much more to do in the implementation of the Strategic Compass, starting with the necessary reinforcement of Military Planning and Conduct Capability. This is a good occasion to remind our Member States to act on that.

Also making the Rapid Deployment Capacity operational by 2025 - it means tomorrow. With the MPCC operational headquarters will remain a key deliverable of the Strategic Compass.

The first-ever exercise taking place will happen later this year in Spain, and this will be a very important milestone. On this, and on many other issues, the European Union Military Staff will continue to play a crucial role.

And as we thank you, Vice-Admiral Bléjean, for your service, let me also take this opportunity to welcome Lieutenant-General Michiel van der Laan who takes over as the new Director-General of the European Union Military Staff and Director of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability.

My dear [Lieutenant-]General, times ahead will not be easy, you know that. But I am confident that you will take work forward with the same commitment, professionalism and determination that Vice-Admiral Bléjean has demonstrated.

And now, it is my honour to present Vice-Admiral Bléjean with the CSDP medal for Extraordinary meritorious service.

Cher Hervé, cette médaille, c'est quelque chose de plus bien-sûr qu'un morceau de métal avec de jolies couleurs. Cette médaille est un gage de reconnaissance pour votre contribution extraordinaire à la défense européenne. Vous avez été un exemple exceptionnel de leadership militaire européen. L'Union Européenne et moi-même personnellement, nous avons grandement bénéficié de vous et de vos près de 40 ans d'expérience militaire, tant au niveau national qu'international. Je tiens donc à vous remercier pour vos judicieux conseils, vos analyses pointues, votre travail acharné et surtout, pour votre amitié. Ceci va rester.

Je suis certain que beaucoup parmi nous partagent ma gratitude pour ce que vous avez accompli au cours de ces trois années en tant que Directeur-général de l'État-major de l'Union européenne et Directeur de la Capacité militaire de planification et de conduite. Cela a été un honneur d'avoir été votre haut-représentant et camarade de beaucoup d'heures de travail pour bâtir la défense de l'Europe.

Alors que vous abordez les prochains chapitres de votre brillante carrière, je vous souhaite, comme on fait aux marins, "bon vent et bonne mer !". Merci beaucoup, Vice-Amiral.

Thank you.