C. THE NETHERLANDS: A STRONG POTENTIAL FOR COOPERATION
1. An important partner in European defence
In a recent speech he gave on the subject of Europe, 71 ( * ) Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke in favour of Europe wielding its own power and defending its own interests. While asserting that NATO remains “ our first line of defence and our guarantee of security, ” which in his opinion “ rules out a European army, ” he advocated working together more closely within the EU so as “ to be less dependent on the US. ” To increase the effectiveness of the CFSP/CSDP, he proposed putting an end to Council unanimity on the subject of European sanctions.
The Netherlands is acutely aware of the threats to Europe's strategic environment. The responsibility for the disaster of Flight MH-17 over Ukraine, which claimed 196 lives in July 2014, was attributed to Russia by an investigative report. As one of the most connected of the European nations, the Netherlands is making cybersecurity one of their priorities, especially following the revelation in early October 2018 of a Russian cyberattack plot against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at The Hague.
The Netherlands is also concerned by the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, and participated in the coalition against Daesh in the Levant, particularly by providing four F-16 fighters. The Netherlands also participated in MINUSMA, though they have now withdrawn from that mission. The Dutch government is participating in EUCAP Sahel Niger together with Germany, so as to finance the establishment of a border control police force. It also announced its willingness to increase its investment in the Sahel by €100 million over the next four years.
Another element we have in common with the Netherlands is the possession of territories in the Caribbean , implying a maritime presence. France and the Netherlands share a border on the island of Saint-Martin, where their armed forces cooperate to provide help to local populations in times of disaster or crisis (such as during hurricane Irma in 2017).
As a result of its threat analysis, the Netherlands is increasing its defence effort (which in 2018 came to 1.3% of GDP), according to guidelines set out in a White Paper published in March 2018 and a Defence Industry Strategy memorandum dated November 2018. This industrial strategy has set priorities for the preservation and strengthening of the Dutch defence industry, particularly in certain key sectors, without excluding the possibility of international cooperation.
2. Armed forces highly integrated into bilateral cooperation arrangements
The armed forces of the Netherlands have a very advanced culture of cooperation.
The Air Force cooperates with the US Air Force (F16, F35, etc.), as well as with the German, Belgian, Norwegian and Luxembourgish Air Forces on the MRTT (8 aircraft purchased jointly).
The Land Army has three brigades, two of which are integrated into German divisions.
The Navy has pooled its organic components (research, development, acquisition, training, readiness exercises, maintenance and replacement parts) with its Belgian counterpart. It has a full range of naval capabilities. The BENESAM agreement 72 ( * ) of 10 May 1948 laid the foundations for this co-operation, which has led to genuine integration between the Belgian and Dutch navies. The Netherlands was the first in Europe to have a conventional submarine force, and remains a leading player in this field within the NATO framework.
Alongside its purchase of the F35, which illustrates their Atlanticist posture, the Netherlands has provided several examples of concrete advances in European defence , with strong partnerships, and various aspects of their military capabilities integrated with those of neighbouring nations.
Your rapporteurs observed in their visit to The Hague that the Netherlands is keen to maintain a balance between its three major partners, the United Kingdom, Germany and France; it fears that Brexit may upset this balance, giving excessive weight to the Franco-German couple, and advocates openness rather than exclusiveness in that relationship, in keeping with the spirit of the broader partnership.
The Netherlands plays a leading role in the PESCO military mobility project. It is a participant in the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which includes eight nations 73 ( * ) and is coordinated by the United Kingdom. It also participates in E2I (in particular by its leadership of a working group on the Caribbean), thus further demonstrating its interest in scalable, needs-based cooperation.
France has the opportunity to develop a strategic maritime partnership with the Netherlands in the years to come.
Last March, Naval Group won a €2bn contract to supply twelve minehunters to the Belgian and Dutch navies.
The Netherlands will replace four submarines over the next decade, under conditions that will permit it to maintain high-level submarine capabilities while enhancing and developing Dutch industry, in keeping with the priorities set by the abovementioned Industrial Strategy. A balanced partnership with France, not only at the industrial level, but also at the operational and political level, would be both in the common interest and in the interest of European defence, within both the EU and NATO frameworks.
With its seasoned armed forces and formidable industrial competences, and with its threat analysis converging with ours, the Netherlands is a strong partner, very involved in NATO and in European initiatives. It is a country in regard to which France would have much to gain from a real strategic partnership in the operational, capability, and research and development domains. The planned replacement of the Dutch submarine fleet may offer an opportunity in this regard.
* 71 Speech delivered at Zurich on 13 February 2019
* 72 Belgisch-Nederlandse Samenwerkingsakkoorden.
* 73 The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) created upon a British initiative, brings together the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and the three Baltic States (thus including 5 NATO nations and 2 partner nations). After the signature of a letter of intent at the NATO Wales Summit of September 2014, it was declared fully operational in July 2018.