15th CSDP High Level Course, Module 3, Athens

Module 3 of the 15th CSDP High Level Course (HLC) for 2019-2020 ‘Altiero Spinelli’ was held in Athens, Greece from 2 to 6 November 2020. The module was organised by the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence and the Hellenic Army Academy.

The overall aim of the CSDP HLC is to prepare selected senior experts from EU Member States, candidate countries and EU institutions for leadership positions in the application and development of CSDP policy, crisis management and capability development, within the wider context of the CFSP, and enable them to cooperate effectively with the various actors in this field.

The aim of the third module of the CSDP HLC is to provide a comprehensive overview of the EU’s involvement in supporting the CFSP, including the planning and force generation processes for CSDP missions and operations, from both a conceptual and a practical perspective. The module also provides an insight into a number of EU regional policies and aims to increase awareness of the strategic relevance of the EU and the Member States in the current security environment (i.e. the maritime dimension of the CSDP, the migration-security nexus, strategic communication, energy security, and protection of critical infrastructure).

Module 3 was planned for April 2020, but due to the evolution of COVID-19 it was postponed to November 2020. Nineteen course participants were present at the course venue in Athens and 30 course participants followed the module via VTC. It should be noted that online participation was an exceptional measure in view of the current situation and cannot be seen as setting a precedent for future ESDC training activities.