Paris, 5 June 2008 – The Assembly should be asked to adopt a recommendation on the crucial issue of a defence operational headquarters (OHQ) at its next plenary session in December, according to Doug Henderson (United Kingdom, Socialist Group).

Presenting an interim information report entitled “European Union operational chains of command”, he said extensive information would be gathered before the Defence Committee draws up its recommendation. Consultations would be held with the British, French and Germans, probably with Poland as a new European Union (EU) member and with a few think-tanks. “I would like to take evidence from every government, but this is not possible”, he said.

Of the three levels in the chain of command in EU defence operations, only the OHQ presented a problem. All agree that strategic decision-making is taken at EU Council level and that the force commander on the ground is in charge of the Force Headquarters (FHQ). Three options existed for the OHQ:
– NATO in the framework of the Berlin Plus agreements – as in the case of Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
– using one of the five framework nations under the framework nation arrangement – as for Operation EUFOR TCHAD/RCA (Mont Valerien, Paris);
– the third option under consideration was “that the EU should have its own operational headquarters established separately”.

“It is clear that whatever is decided, one of the main issues is how to augment the initial capacity (of the OHQ)”, Mr Henderson said. One major point would be the speed with which the OHQ could become fully operational. “There would be no point if it took months.”

The OHQ needed to be able to handle a wide range of operations such as that under way in Afghanistan, which might last 25 years and involve 50 000 troops, or those involving only 200 to 300 troops. But for the time being “in normal times, operations would involve between 3 000 and 6 000, like in Chad,” he added. Other considerations to be taken into account were how to ensure coherency, efficiency and an absence of “unnecessary duplication”.