Senior Course 119 concluded its Transatlantic Field Study on 11th November. Following its visits to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, to the two NATO strategic military commands (ACT in Norfolk and ACO in Mons) and to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the group spent the final day of this very successful Field Study period at the European Union (EU) in Brussels.
Led by the NATO Defense College Commandant, Lieutenant General Arne Bård DALHAUG, and by the Dean, Dr Richard D. HOOKER, Course Members were thus able to complement their knowledge of major international organizations with detailed briefings and discussions on the role of crucial European institutions. This enabled Course Members to gain a better understanding of the ties between the EU and NATO, as well as the important issues that sometimes hinder better cooperation between the two organizations.
Inside the Berlaymont building, home to the European Commission, SC119 was addressed by a number of key senior speakers from the EU. The session began with a welcome address by Lieutenant General Anton Van OSCH, Director General of the EU Military Staff (EUMS), who briefed the group on “The Military in the EU”. He gave an extensive overview of the main areas that are directly relevant to military integration and to the Comprehensive Approach in the EU.
Brigadier General Walter HUHN, Deputy Head of the Crisis Management and Planning Directorate (CMPD), then addressed Course Members on strategic matters related to the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and other current issues. This talk focused on such recent developments as the EU External Action Service and EU Crisis Management Concept, as well as the procedures and structures concerned, and provided a most informative overview of the EU’s current commitments to missions and cooperation. BGen HUHN also underlined possible future trends and missions for the EU, placing these in the overall context of the CSDP challenges ahead.
As at NATO HQ, the day at the EU was divided between briefings with a military focus and input from the civilian part of the organization. The NDC group thus had the pleasure of listening to Mr Hansjoerg HABER, the EU Civilian Operations Commander, who spoke about future challenges for civilian security and reform in the security sector.
The final speaker of the day was the Director of Concepts and Capabilities in the EUMS, Brigadier General Gabor HORVATH, who offered Course Members an extensive update on the role of the EUMS in EU Military Capability Development. BGen HORVATH presented an overview of the capability development planning process, highlighting the relevance of pooling and sharing within this overall context. Present and future EU challenges regarding the delivery of capabilities by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and by member countries were also examined in some detail.
After a densely scheduled and successful Field Study period, Senior Course 119 flew back to Rome to complete the remainder of the course, including the third and final Field Study scheduled for next month.
More about the Field Study:
First stop – New York
Second part – Washington DC
Third Leg – Norfolk, VA
Fourth step – Brussels
Collège de Défense de l'OTAN 
