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While participating in the Meeting of the Policy Directors of the EU Defence Ministries in Brussels on March 20, Policy Director of the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence Vaidotas Urbelis emphasized that a stronger role of the European Union as international security provider requires greater attention to developing crisis response capabilities, such as the European Union Battlegroups (EU BGs).

The Lithuanian representative pointed out to a more flexible use of the BGs, greater standardization of the training, validation and certification of the BGs, as well as a more equal burden sharing among the framework and troop contributing nations as instruments to enhance the effectiveness of the EU Battlegroups.
 
The EU Policy Directors meeting took place in preparation for the European Council-level strategic discussion which has been scheduled to be held later this year over the prospects of the EU defence cooperation. The dispute will focus on three main questions: increasing the efficiency and effect of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), enhancing the EU military capabilities and strengthening the EU defence industry.
 
“From our perspective, debate on the EU's role as security provider should definitely include such aspects as the role for CSDP in promoting positive security developments in the neighborhood as well as what is the role for CSDP in developing EU ability to respond to emerging security challenges, such as energy and cyber security”,” V. Urbelis outlined at the meeting.
 
According to the Policy Director, those were the priorities Lithuania would focus on during its Presidency over the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2013.
 
Lithuania’s EU Presidency priorities aimed at strengthening the Common Security and Defence Policy include increased focus on energy security, strengthening of crisis response capabilities – the EU Battlegroups – and contribution to the EU-led international operations.
 
During Lithuania’s term of the EU Presidency over 100 Lithuanian military will conduct standby in the EU Battlegroup formed together with the United Kingdom, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden.
 
The EU Battlegroups are multinational rapid response capabilities of the European Union allowing the EU to respond speedily to emerging crises. Similarly to NATO’s Response Force, the EU BGs are made up of military units on a rotational basis assigned by the EU member states for six-month rotation basis.
 
During the standby period Lithuanian military personnel assigned to the EU BG will maintain high readiness in their permanent deployment site in Lithuania and, in case of activation, the EU BG will be ready to deploy into the operation theatre within 5-10 days and will be sustainable for 30-120 days. One EU Battlegroup is approximately 2 thousand-strong.

By proposal of President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, defence topic was incorporated into the European Council’s agenda for 2013 with a particular emphasis on the fact that changing international security environment required strategic-level discussion on further defence cooperation of the EU member states.

As a run-up for the European Council’s meeting, member states discuss and agree national postures at political experts and ministerial levels.