The plan of a EU Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC) – an EU rapid reaction force of at least 5000 troops ready to be deployed for crisis management, rescue operations, evacuation tasks, and operations of initial entry and stabilisation or to temporarily reinforce other missions – was initially proposed by the EU’s High Representative, is enshrined in the Strategic Compass already adopted by the Member States and was endorsed on April 19 in an own-initiative report of the European Parliament.

The RDC’s objective is to be operational by 2025, which the President of CESI’s members’ Expert Commission ‘Defence’, Thomas Sohst, considers highly ambitious with clear challenges in terms of operability and personnel. The European Parliament report also mentions that for the RDC to be effective, it should have permanent operational headquarters with appropriate funding, staff and infrastructure and an integrated secure communication. The costs of the initiative should be financed from the EU budget, from a revised European Peace Facility with an increased budget – all aspects that CESI endorses.

Thomas Sohst said: “The establishment of the RDC is a step in the right direction. I welcome that all troops assigned by Member States to this common European project are to be used exclusively for achieving a genuine RDC, except for emergency cases when they could be deployed back. In this context there remain however challenges of personnel shortfalls in the military and civilian armed forces in most EU Member States. Investments are needed to replenish lacking military and civilian personnel – for RDC purposes but also beyond. Moreover, in the context of the RDC all deployed soldiers and other personnel should enjoy the same working and social rights.”