The Director of the European CoE for Countering Hybrid Threats visited NATO

11 April 2017 Finland together with eight other nations signed the Memorandum of Understanding for establishing the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki. The aim of the Centre is to raise awareness of hybrid threats and societies’ vulnerabilities that can be exploited in hybrid operations as well as to help foster the resilience of societies. The Director of the Centre Matti Saarelainen visited NATO on May 22 to meet and discuss the Centre’s work with members of NATO Secretariat and officials from NATO member and partner countries.

Hybrid threats refer to complex and often sudden threats combining military aggression with political, diplomatic, economic, cyber and disinformation measures. They sow insecurity and destabilize societies while still remaining below the threshold of formally declared warfare. Thus, they blur the line between the usual distinction of war and peace. Lately, we have seen many examples of hybrid threats: the “little green men” during annexation of Crimea, methods of ISIS, cyber-attacks towards critical infrastructure and disinformation campaigns.

Consequently, it is no suprise that both NATO and the EU have called for measures building resilience to hybrid threats.

Work to counter hybrid threats began properly in EU at the spring 2015. The first encouragement for EU Member States to set up a Centre that could address the strategic implications of countering hybrid threats was given in a Joint Communication adopted by the European Commission and the High Representative to the European Parliament and the Council in April 2016. Later, the need for establishing the Centre surfaced also as part of the discussions dealing with the strengthening of the EU-NATO cooperation.

- The Joint Declaration of further strengthening the NATO-EU strategic partnership in July 2016 stressed the need to boost the ability of the EU, NATO and their member countries to counter hybrid threats, the Director of the Centre Matti Saarelainen mentions.

Also Finland faced some expectations during the preparation of the EU Joint Communication on countering hybrid threats.

- The comprehensive security model of Finland has often been used as an example of preparedness. Finland has also highlighted the need for responding to hybrid threats, and thus, it was only natural that we were seen as a good host nation for the Centre, Saarelainen explains.

In February 2016 Finland began the negotiations with other member countries, which are ten in total now. While not signatories themselves, NATO and the EU will also participate actively in the Centre’s activities. According to Saarelainen, one of the advantages of the Centre is that it can provide a neutral platform for EU-NATO cooperation in countering hybrid threats.

Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats is based in Helsinki and functions in a form of a network. Saarelainen explains that the work is partly carried out in the Communities of Interest maintained by member countries. Each community will focus on specific issues that can generate hybrid threats.

- State conducted hybrid operations, hybrid activities related to radicalization and terrorism as well as vulnerabilities and resilience are planned as the topics of the Communities of Interest.

Whilst the threats societies are facing are getting more complex, countering them effectively requires more comprehensive and cooperative methods. In practice, the Centre will engage in strategic level dialogue, research, training, consultations and exercises aiming to enhance the member countries’ preparedness to counter hybrid threats.

 - Developing new means of cooperation through our network of experts have been seen as an added value of our work. In addition, our Centre is expected to provide better possibilities to review hybrid threats in a more comprehensive manner. We are aiming to engage with government and non-government experts from a wide range of professional sectors and disciplines.

- Our activities are also expected to strengthen the cooperation for crisis preparedness and resilience between nations.