THE EUROPEAN SECURITY
AND DEFENCE POLICY
AND THE BULGARIAN ARMY

The project has been financed under the “Europe 2003” Programme
of the Delegation of the European Commission in Bulgaria

Partners:

• “Army and Civil Society” Foundation
  (Plamen Dimitrov – project coordinator)

• College of Europe Alumni Association in Bulgaria (ABSKEB)

Implementation period:

January – October 2005

Target groups:

The purpose of the project is to increase the awareness of information of two target groups – soldiers, sergeants and officers of the Bulgarian armed forces and Ministry of defence civilian servants about the European security and defence policy.

Activities:

• Articles in the “Balgarska Armiya” newspaper

A series of articles about European integration were published in the “Balgarska Armiya” daily newspaper, edition of the Ministry of defence. They were grouped in three basic thematic fields such as EU common policies, building of the European defence identity, first EU military missions in the Republic of Macedonia and Bosnia and Hertzegovina.

• Interactive seminar (1-3 August 2005)

The same issues were discussed on an interactive seminar in the “Olimp” hotel in Borovetz from 1 till 3 August 2005. Seminar participants were over 20 representatives of the Ministry of defence and the Bulgarian army general staff. They were not only listeners, but also active participants during the discussion of the presentations of the project experts. The basic information about the European Union and its defence policy is combined with the lieutenant-colonel Nikolay Kisyov direct impressions from the “Altea” mission. The lieutenant-colonel is a national representative of the Bulgarian military contingent in Bosnia and Hertzegovina in a moment when NATO gives the command of the peacemaking forces to the European Union.

• Website

A website about the European security and defence policy (www.eu-defence.hit.bg) was created under the project. Experts, working directly in this sphere, and all Bulgarian citizents, interested in the European integration, can find updated ESDP-related information on the site.

• Competition

Probably the most interesting part of the project is the competition “Do you know anything about the European security and defence policy?”. There are a lot of participants in the competition, but the winner, who will be able to choose and visit a capital of the EU country, is only one.

• Publication

The volume “The European Securityand Defence Policy and the Bulgarian Army”, edited by Plamen Dimitrov and Krassimir Nikolov, is published under the project for dissemination among members of the Bulgarian armed forces and the Ministry of defence civilian servants.

* * *

ABSKEB participation:

ANGEL BANDJOV and KRASSIMIR NIKOLOV take part in the fiufilment of the project on behalf of the association as:

• article authors in the “Balgarska Armiya” newspaper,

• lecturers in the interactive seminar,

• authors in the volume “The European Security and Defence Policy and the Bulgarian Army”.