Concept

"Finally one place that brings all the research, consulting and analysis on CSDP together"  

ISIS Europe established Common Security and Defence Policy Mission Analysis Partnership (CSDP MAP) in 2008, which has been designed to fill a gap and a niche by collating think tank, research institute, NGO, government and EU institutional work on CSDP into one-place.  CSDP MAP now has many partners across Europe and growing. 

Rationale

There currently exists analysis and some regular updating of EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions, however it is often difficult to find and not accessible in one information area and accessible to civil society. It is also widely recognised that the monitoring and evaluation of CSDP missions is relatively under-developed and lacks both oversight and accountability. 

Discussions are currently underway within the EU as to how to improve the internal evaluation of CSDP missions, including if and how to incorporate external, independent feedback. CSDP planning and decision-making would benefit from well-informed external analysis of the design, composition, operation and impact of CSDP missions. It is also important to ascertain the impact on the ground and hence civil society monitoring and analysis of CSDP actions at the local level and within Europe is critical for enhancing the support for CSDP interventions, and has direct operational impact.

With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on the 1 December 2009, and the current debates over the set-up and role of the External Action Service (EAS) – entering into force on 1 January 2011 - the need for accountability and transparency of information is even more urgent.

Aim

CSDP MAP collates the expanse of already existing information on CSDP missions and the regions where missions are conducted, to contribute to better understanding of CSDP process and planning for civil society, NGOs, as well as the staff in EU institutions, EU delegations and governments – policy makers and policy making recipients.  The webportal hence enhances understanding of CSDP policy and mission planning and helps to improve relations between the EU institutions, governments and the mission ‘recipients’ (including civil society) alike, as well as linking impact on the ground with the aim of CSDP missions.

CSDP MAP has completed the first stage through the creation of this dedicated web portal designed to compile and improve access to open-source information on specific missions.

CSDP MAP is independent and open. The lead organisation (currently ISIS Europe) will act as an oversight and maintenance body for the web-portal for quality and relevance. CSDP MAP will help to identify and address gaps in CSDP mission analysis, provide civil oversight and accountability and support collaborative analytical thinking in relation to CSDP missions and policy. In Phase Three, CSDP MAP aims to develop to enable local stakeholders to participate in providing their direct analysis on how missions are perceived on the ground.

Further to this, CSDP MAP aims to then provide improved feedback by promoting and improving access to informed analysis of CSDP operations by independent researchers, analysts and civil society actors as well as encourage information-sharing and debate among interested parties through this web-portal.

Partners

See the separate partner page

The CSDP MAP webportal gives quick access and policy input on :

  • Outline and chronological timeline of CSDP and EU missions. We see a shift in security and crisis management towards an increase in civilian crisis management with a human security and peacebuilding focus (12 of the current 14 CSDP and EU missions are “civilian”). This part of CSDP MAP gives direct access to EU documentation and policy, as well as partner analysis, figures and reports on CSDP missions.
  • EU structure. One page, all the links. Council, Commission, EP, EU agencies  - for anything related to the EU's External Relations (security and associated).
  • Country analysis. Partners’ work and research in countries that have an EU mission present are provided, giving a broad and analytical view - from the perspective of Member States and stakeholders on the ground - as to the country and regional contexts.
  • Thematics. This aspect of CSDP MAP provides links to research on various thematics involved in CSDP, amongst them: fragile states; early warning; conflict analysis & prevention; fact finding & assessment; structures & policies; financing; peacebuilding; sec-dev nexus; mediation; monitoring; R2P; human rights; gender; SSR; DDRRR; piracy; capacities & capabilities; civmil; lessons identified; oversight; private sector..... In particular, links with and coordination between the global actors involved in security, crisis management and peacebuilding – both internationally (i.e. synergies with UN and AU work); internally (NGOs and civil society) and transnationally (alliances with the EU and US through international bodies, as well as coalitions and through NATO).

Phase 3 of CSDP MAP

CSDP MAP aims to develop the webportal in 2011 with an online interactive dialogue platform to enable stakeholders on the ground to participate in providing their direct analysis on how missions and Crisis Management actions are perceived and their success in implementation. While the EU’s Crisis Management activities will remain the core focus of the Partnership, Phase Three will develop extensive research with the input of local stakeholders and aim not only to assess the impact of CSDP missions, but EU activities in the countries on the whole, including the links with trade, development, humanitarian aid, and other peacebuilding activities.