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On April 22 and 23 Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas addressed preparations for the European Council on defence and security to take place in December with his colleagues at a meeting of the EU Defence Ministers in Luxemburg.

In a discussion over the agenda of the upcoming European Council Minister Olekas underlined the energy efficiency dimension. According to the Minister, energy consumption has a big impact on defence costs and operational effectiveness. As the Lithuanian Defence Minister noted, for that reason one of Lithuania’s priorities of the EU Presidency was the inclusion of the energy security dimension into the EU Common Security and Defence Policy.

“We should join national efforts and use good examples to promote energy efficiency in defence. The existing potential of the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence based in Lithuania could be used for this aim,” Minister Olekas said.

At the meeting the Defence Minister noted that military energy efficiency was closely linked with other important defence issues, such as strengthening the European defence industrial base and promoting research and innovations, especially in the field of dual use technologies.

According to Minister Olekas, he expected that the EU Heads of State would provide guidelines on EU’s response to the emerging security challenges and proposed to revise the current European Security Strategy approved as far back as in 2003.

“The Heads of State should discuss EU’s strategic security priorities. I believe that the European Council in December could mandate a revision of the already 10-years old European Security Strategy with regard to the changing security environment a d the emerging threats,” J. Olekas said.

Defence Ministers of other EU’s member states also pointed out their expectations that the European Security Strategy would be revised in their addresses.

The EU Defence Ministers meeting in Luxemburg is held as a part of the run-up for the European Council on Defence due to take place in December. The Defence Ministers of the EU member states discuss and agree the points they believe the EU leaders should focus on at the December European Council.

As it was proposed by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, defence issues have been included into the agenda of the European Council for 2013 highlighting the fact that the shifting international security environment requires a strategic-level discussion regarding further CSDP cooperation of the EU member states.

The EU Presidency will rotate from Ireland to Lithuania this July. Lithuania’s priorities for the EU Presidency period aimed at strengthening the EU Common Security and Defence Policy include an intensified cooperation with the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries in security and defence sector and developing military dimension of energy security with an aim to include the two points into the CSDP. Lithuania will also focus on promoting a bigger role of the EU in ensuring international security, developing the EU Battlegroups, supporting the EU’s contribution to multinational operations, and promoting a closer and a more coordinated NATO-EU cooperation in the area of international security.

Photos (source: www.consilium.europa.eu): Minister of National Defence with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and with Defence Minister of Italy Gianpaolo Di Paolo.