EU-US plot a joint strategy to tackle failed states and conflicts

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 16/06/05

The leaders of the EU and the US are to adopt a series of measures aimed at responding better to international crises.

At a summit in Washington next week (20 June) George W. Bush and Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Council, are expected to issue a joint declaration setting out co-operation in the field of crisis response and conflict prevention.

According to a draft, the document will focus on failed states and conflicts. "Failing and post-conflict states constitute one of the 21st century's gravest threats to international peace and stability," it will say.

"State failures and conflicts can create conditions in which humanitarian catastrophes emerge, regional and international stability is compromised, corrupt influences prevail, and terrorism, organised crime, and trafficking narcotics, weapons and human beings thrive."

The World Bank has labelled countries ranging from Haiti to Papua New Guinea as being "under stress" and at risk of instability.

Since the 11 September 2001 attacks in New York, the threat of failed and failing states has been highlighted as one of the most serious issues facing the international community.

Despite support for American action in Afghanistan and elsewhere, the US intervention in Iraq has polarised Western opinion on how and when to act.

Now the EU and US are attempting to put some of their ideas about failed states and conflicts together.

In Washington they are expected to agree to hold senior level meetings every six months to discuss countries of concern and identify priorities to focus efforts, as well as holding joint training exercises.

But Alyson Bailes, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, warned that common analysis of potential and actual crises was not enough.

"The analysis is very much the same," said Bailes, a former head of security policy at the UK Foreign Office. "The difference is in were you go from there."

In Iraq many EU countries shared a common assessment of the threats with the US, but did not agree on common action. There are signs, though, that differences may be narrowing.

In an attempt to bridge some of the gaps with its EU allies, the US looks ready to commit itself to using regional fora to resolve crises and to signing up to international norms legitimising intervention.

Washington appears ready to back a United Nations' Peace-building Commission which was proposed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan's high-level panel.

"It is good," said Bailes. "It represents the importation of a naturally EU agenda."

But there is also concern that current trends could limit the EU's role to the civilian sphere, according to Bailes.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that the EU will play a greater role in Iraq, unfortunately this seems to reaffirm this idea that the EU comes in after and clears up an American mess. This could further locked them [the EU] into this wimpish 'Venus' role," she said.

But according to diplomats, the EU is likely to resist such moves, rejecting any indication that EU-US co-operation is civilian, with NATO left to deal with military aspects.

Anticipation of the EU-US summit on 20 June 2005 where leaders of the EU and the US were expected to adopt a series of measures aimed at responding better to international crises. This was to include a joint declaration setting out co-operation in the field of crisis response and conflict prevention, especially on failing and post-conflict states.

European Commission: DG External Relations: Countries: USA: EU-US Summit June 2005 http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/us/sum06_05/index.htm

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