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Europe Needs to be More Assertive in Transatlantic Relations

by Wolfgang Ischinger

Climate Action - Energy for a changing world

This video catalogue represents a selection of the vast number of audiovisual products, news items and archives by the EU Commission - Audiovisual Productions

Private Military Contractors and Risk Transfer Warfare

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SAfE

 

Security Architecture for Europe
SAfE – Security Architecture for Europe – is an open collective intelligence project aimed at re-conceptualizing security in European and global perspectives. The SAfE Platform leverages on existing industry or policy-driven endeavors. The novelty of SAfE lays in its integrated, open, collaborative, social and collective working space. SAfE transversal consensus-building projects may unlock the potential of the still unexplored long-tail of security.
 
SAfE is a users-developed, open , re-search , debate and information area. The SAfE Platform integrates collaborative -  WikiBee - and community - Be-a-Bee -  applications.


Georgia: Conflict mediation faces hurdles

Calls for Georgia's separatist provinces to concede to changes in resolution of their conflicts with Tbilisi may fall on deaf ears.

by Simon Saradzhyan in Moscow for ISN Security Watch

The recent escalation of tensions in Georgia's frozen conflicts with its separatist provinces has enabled Tbilisi and its western allies to push harder for change in the peacekeeping and conflict resolution formats currently dominated by Moscow.

However, in spite of calls from Tbilisi and Washington for diversification of the formats, the latter could be blocked by the separatist regimes of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which are recognized parties to the peace talks and whose consent is required for any significant change.

The past several weeks have seen violence flare up along lines separating Georgian forces from South Ossetia and Abkhazia and forces in spite of the presence of Russian peacekeepers, who operate under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States with consent of all conflicting sides.

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Medvedev's Visit to Azerbaijan: Possible Scenarios in Energy Cooperation

from Turkish Weekly

View by Rovshan Ibrahimov - On July 3 2008, the new president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev official visit to Azerbaijan is expected. It is noteworthy that after the election, Medvedev as the president, first of his visits have been to the former Soviet Union republics. In particular, the first official visit took place to Kazakhstan. There is no doubt that Kazakhstan is a strategic partner of Russia. Between these countries the world's largest land border is taking place, Kazakhstan possesses a large Russian-speaking population on his territory, which has serious impact on the country.

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Israel-Iran: Attack or feint

By Dominic Moran in Tel Aviv for ISN Security Watch

In the wake of a major Israeli military exercise earlier this month, speculation is growing that the recurrent failure of diplomatic efforts is fostering a deterioration that may lead to a US or Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

According to reports, over 100 Israeli F-16s and F-15s took part in a major training operation over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece earlier this month, purportedly practicing maneuvers and refueling procedures crucial to a possible attack on Iran.

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A Sarkozy spin as France rejoins NATO command

by John Vinocur, International Herald Tribune

When Nicolas Sarkozy brings France back into NATO's unified command next year, he will want to celebrate it as a triumph for Europe's own defense identity. It's a very French spin on a step that more meaningfully signifies that the alliance, so often buried, is alive and kicking, and that Sarkozy, 42 years after Charles de Gaulle's decision to pull out of NATO's integrated military structure, thinks there's no more profit in France being seen as a reflex antagonist of the United States on issues like Iran, the Middle East, Russia and China.

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Could France Bring NATO and the EU Closer Together?
by Ronja Kempin  for  SWP  
In August 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy announced that he wanted his country to rejoin NATO's integrated military command. The French president believes that if substantial progress is to be made in establishing a capable European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), France has to become a full member of the alliance once again. Yet as the French EU Presidency approaches, the formula of »rejoining NATO equals more ESDP« seems to have lost its power. It could only work if France were to use its EU Presidency for a masterstroke: connecting NATO and the EU by creating an operational civil-military EU planning and conduct capability closely linked to NATO's capacities at SHAPE. This would be an option with no losers, and one that also could reward France with a central EU leadership position, for example the post of the first »EU foreign minister