‘The European Initiative for the exchange of young officers, with its international activities, increases students’, officer cadets’ and future leaders’ skills and competencies on the Common Security and Defence Policy and promotes the development of a European Security and Defence Culture.’With these words, the Chairman of the European Union Military Erasmus (EMILYO) Implementation Group opened the Common Module on Common Security and Defence Policy on 11 April in Salon-de-Provence, France. The event was organised in cooperation with the French Air Force and Space Academy with support of the European Security and Defence College. The seminar directly supported the objective of the EMILYO programme by ensuring an active exchange between young officers to further strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of cooperation between European armed forces. The 72 highly committed participants from France, Greece, Croatia and Italy impressed with their active working approach, which they demonstrated in both debates and practical work. This is the third year that the hosting training institute – the French Air Force and Space Academy – has organised this activity as part of the EMILYO programme with support of the ESDC. The seminar directly contributed to strengthening the EU, its institutions and its member states, as it provided participants with the critical skills needed to analyse complex conflict dynamics effectively and identify realistic response measures. The course focused on the history of the CSDP’s development, resilience as a tool to strenghten EU security and defence, EU operations and international law and crisis management in the EU, including the role of the EU Military Staff. The participants engaged in intensive and open discussions with the highly qualified guest speakers and were able to increase their knowledge of the topics as well as their critical analysis skills. The course director, Dr Philippe Guillot, focused on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), using practical examples of the various CSDP missions to provide fascinating insights for all participants. Special thanks to Brigadier General Réal, the Director of French Air and Space Force Academy and to the course director and administrative staff for organizing this event.
