Interview with Lt General Michiel van der Laan, Director General EU Military Staff (EUMS)
and Director Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), Brussels
The European: General, you currently serve as both Director General of the European Union Military Staff (EUMS) and Director of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC). Do you see yourself as the head of the “European military headquarters” and as the commander of a “European army”?
LtGen van der Laan: That is a question I’ve been asked before. There is no such thing as a European army, and I do not think there will be in the foreseeable future. Units comprising of military personnel from up to 27 Member States would be extremely difficult to organise logistically but also because of differences in language and (military) culture. However, I do see opportunities for further cooperation, for example by clustering military activities of Member States that are geographically and culturally related. The German/Netherlands Corps is a great example of this. European military cooperation is certainly on the rise and offers opportunities to improve our capabilities and the way we use them.
The European: I was expecting this response to my question, to be honest. Yet, what you are commanding are the ongoing EU military missions.
LtGen van der Laan: In my capacity as Director of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), I am the Mission Commander of the five military missions the Union currently has. There are two EU training missions, in Central African Republic and Somalia. In Mozambique, we have recently transformed the EU training mission into an EU military assistance mission. The EU military assistance mission for Ukraine, operating on EU soil, is the largest of the EU’s military missions. And last year, the EU security and defence initiative in the Gulf of Guinea was launched. It consists of both a civilian and a military pillar and I command the latter. The current operations of the EU are commanded by either SHAPE (EUFOR Althea) or national OHQs (EUNAVFOR Atalanta, Irini and Aspides).
The European: There is thus not one European military headquarters, but rather several options.
LtGen van der Laan: That is right. As mentioned in the EU’s Strategic Compass, the MPCC will be the preferred operational headquarters for the EU’s Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC) and for exercises. To ensure the MPCC is capable, it must be able to plan and conduct either two small-scale or one medium-scale executive operation(s) in 2025. For this, the MPCC has taken in new personnel and has moved to a new location in Brussels.
I look forward to the MPCC’s future with great confidence.
The European: How do you manage the planning externally with the nations and internally with your operations centre?
LtGen van der Laan: It is for our political masters to decide when and where the EU is militarily active. Formally, decisions to launch, extend, adjust or end the mandates of missions are taken by the European Council. In practice, most of the decision making is done in the Political and Security Committee (PSC), which I regularly attend to discuss military matters. Basically, this is where the “what” is decided. The subsequent question of the “how” is very much of a military nature.
The European: How does the planning work?
LtGen van der Laan: For the planning of military missions or operations we use the so-called planning snake, which usually starts with a political framework for crisis approach. The EUMS will contribute to different phases of the planning process with the MPCC eventually responsible for the drafting of the operation or mission plan (OPlan/MPlan), depending on the type of military action. Throughout the entire planning process, the EU Military Committee (EUMC), which consists of the military representatives of all 27 Member States, has an important role to play by providing military advice at the request of the PSC on a number of planning documents. Once the OPlan/MPlan is finalised, it will be formally agreed by all Member States through a Council decision.
I wish to underline that I am fully dependent on Member States to provide the personnel and assets needed to execute missions and operations. Their contributions are managed during regular force generation conferences.
The European: General, our readers would certainly be interested to know which is the most complex and difficult mission you are commanding currently, and which is the one showing rapid success?
LtGen van der Laan: All missions deliver added value and can only do so because of the hard work of the men and women that are deployed. If I have to name one that stands out, it would be the one in Ukraine, EUMAM UA. This is our largest mission, with the most Member States contributing. It is extremely productive in terms of the number of training modules delivered and is certainly attracting the most attention in the political and public arenas. The training we deliver is at the express request of our Ukrainian counterparts. Given the everchanging landscape, EUMAM UA needs to develop further, which is our main effort at the moment.
The EU’s approach is shifting to focus more on the requirements of the host nation. EUMAM Mozambique is a good example of our ability to adapt to their changing needs. When the EU training mission was about to meet its goals, we shifted direction, in close cooperation with the Mozambican authorities, to ensure the mandate continued to deliver on what the Mozambicans required. Consequently, the name of the mission was changed and the mandate converted from training activities to mentoring and advising.
The European: You briefly mentioned the EU’s future Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC). Could you elaborate on the importance of multi-national units on land, in the air and at sea as an element crucial for European defence?
LtGen van der Laan: Multinational units are not a goal in themselves but are a tool to support our ability to provide operational effects. We are currently working hard to make sure the RDC will be fully operational by 2025. The RDC is a framework for the generation and rapid deployment of highly capable, prepared and exercised military forces, and always as part of an integrated approach to crises. It is therefore closely connected to different initiatives to defend the EU’s interests as part of the CSDP and CFSP.
The Rapid Response Force (RRF) is the element of the RDC that will be deployed in case of activation. It consists of the already existing but slightly modified EU battlegroups (EUBGs), including enablers and pre-identified national modules across all domains. The EUBG packages are a combined and committed force standing ready to deliver its rapid response capability and come with their dedicated enablers. In addition, Member States are requested to pre-identify potentially available forces, enablers and modules that could be requested by the EU to enhance the EUBGs and create a tailored joint RRF capable of dealing with a variety of different crises. In essence, the RDC gathers Member States to bring operational effects together, because we are more capable when we work together.
The European: General, the current global security landscape is more than complex and there is an urgency to be capable of responding to various threats, ranging from the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the escalating threat of cyber-attacks and hybrid warfare. This means that security challenges are no longer confined by geography and the need for a coordinated and comprehensive approach has never been more pressing than today. What role does the cooperation between the European Union and NATO take in this context?
LtGen van der Laan: Close cooperation between the EU and NATO is key. 23 Member States are also NATO allies, and the security concerns of both organisations are aligned. The EU has a 360 degree view to security and defence. Its integrated approach offers a wide array of tools and policies to tackle the challenges at hand: diplomacy and security cooperation, financial instruments, trade, humanitarian aid and its military endeavours. However, for collective defence, NATO is and will remain the cornerstone.
To ensure coherence, efforts done on both sides of Brussels need to be mutually supportive, and they are: the EU’s efforts to boost Europe’s security and enhance the military capabilities of its Member States will benefit NATO – and vice versa. Let it be clear, EU military CSDP generally covers other terrains than NATO: we deliver training and advice outside of the Union, while NATO focuses on territorial defence through its deterrence and defence posture.
However, cooperation is unfortunately not always a given; the complex rules concerning the exchange of classified information tend to be an obstacle.
The European: And how do you think that a European pillar can be designed from the European side?
LtGen van der Laan: There is no such thing as a European pillar within NATO and I don’t think we should strive for this to be created. It would create a division, a sect if you will, within the Alliance. Especially at this point in time, unity is of the utmost importance, within NATO and the EU. NATO needs a strong and united EU, just as the EU needs this from NATO.
The European: Would you agree that a certain spirit of European defence is evolving?
LtGen van der Laan: Today’s challenges force us to work together more closely than ever. We cannot expect the situation in the world to change any time soon – it’s basically the Cold War all over again. This timeframe does give us the unique opportunity to strengthen our cooperation. Member States are stretched to the limit, also because many of them have obligations with NATO. That necessitates prioritisation, coordination and cooperation.
The EU is evolving into an actor capable of taking care of its own security, in coherence with NATO, but definitely within what one could describe as a spirit of European defence. Pay close attention to what the EU White Paper for the future of European defence and the EU’s preparedness strategy will bring early 2025, aiming at enhancing the EU’s resilience and defence capabilities.
The European: General, thank you for this conversation. I would like to ask you one last, more personal question: after 18 months in your position, is there anything you are particularly proud of?
LtGen van der Laan: My first year and a half in this position has been very eventful, somewhat of a rollercoaster at times, but above all very rewarding. I am most proud of my people. The collaboration and teamwork of all colleagues in both the EUMS and MPCC really stands out. I’m equally proud of the personnel deployed in the missions and operations, in challenging operational environments, far away from their families and homes for extended periods of time. Their sacrifice and excellent work are remarkable and can only be commended.
