NATO HQ, Brussels 7 Dec. 2001

Annex SEESTUDY: Concept for Scoping Study The scoping study should be carried out by one Partner (Romania), one Ally (UK) and the "Lead Implemented' (LI), with the possibility of participation by additional experts if funding permits. It should last about three weeks. The Partner and Ally representatives should be senior officials responsible for drawing up their national security strategies, (possibly with a legal background) They need not be involved in the main study (as their own work would probably not allow them the time); but they should be kept informed (and perhaps consulted if necessary) as the main study progressed. The LI should be a representative of the think-tank that will carry out the main study. (Although not yet formally agreed, the LI is likely to be RUSI.) The three person team would need to meet in Brussels initially (for talks with the NATO IS facilitator) and then visit three or four regional countries, upon their invitation, to determine the outline of the main study. A further meeting would be held in Brussels at the end of the period. (NB. It is proposed that countries participating in the SEESTUDY would be visited subsequently during the main study, upon their invitation.) It is envisaged that during both the scoping study and the main study, the LI would contact and draw on the expertise of NGOs and think-tanks in a number of Partner countries, including the Swiss-based Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces. Participation in both studies will of course be voluntary; though we hope that all countries in the region will be interested in taking part. It would be up to individual countries to draw lessons from the study and decide whether to implement any recommendations that may be made. Proposed Timetable: - The scoping study should begin in the second half of January. If the main study is likely to last 3-4 months, it should begin in late March (sooner if possible) to avoid running into the summer period. (But this would only allow about a month to arrange funding for the main study. SEEGROUP may have to obtain pledges of financial support for this in advance of the scoping study's report.) SEEGROUP expresses appreciation for the decision of the United Kingdom to fund the scoping study.