Objectives
Article 3
1. The ESDC shall contribute to enhancing the common European security and defence culture within the Union and to promoting the principles laid down in Article 21(1) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). It shall, in particular, have the following objectives: (a) supporting the implementation of the EU Policy on CSDP training, whilst ensuring consistency with other activities of the Union, where appropriate, acting in line with the EU Integrated Approach to External Conflicts and Crises, the Strategic Compass and the EU Civilian CSDP Compact; (b) ensuring the quality and coherence of CSDP training and education; (c) identifying, updating and responding to the training requirements of Member States, Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, as well as of CSDP Missions and Operations, and ensuring that relevant staff have the necessary knowledge and skills, a common understanding of CSDP Missions’ and Operations’ functioning principles, and are familiar with Union policies, institutions and procedures in the field of CSDP, as well as are able to work efficiently on all relevant CSDP matters at all levels (political, strategic, operational and tactical); (d) enabling pooling and sharing of CSDP training and education through a network of civilian and military training providers in the Member States; (e) supporting national and international training centres through advice on international educational standards, good practices and the latest research on CSDP, including at PhD level; (f) developing detailed arrangements for standardisation and certification, including quality assurance mechanisms for pooled and shared CSDP training; (g) supporting the Union’s partnerships in the field of CSDP, in particular partnerships with countries participating in CSDP missions and operations; (h) supporting the Union’s public diplomacy initiatives through its training activities in the European neighbourhood and beyond; (i) fostering synergies and complementarity between the civilian and military dimensions of CSDP, including through training in different domains. 2. In addition to the objectives set out in paragraph 1, the ESDC shall accomplish any other task in accordance with its mission, as to be decided by the Steering Committee, on an annual basis, with the EEAS and the ESDC secretariat acting in a support capacity.