Last week, EUROMIL President Jacob addressed the members of the Security and Defence (SEDE) Committee of the European Parliament during a public hearing on “Soldiers’ rights in EU Member States”.

MEP Clare Moody (S&D, UK), Vice-Chair of the SEDE Committee opened the hearing by pointing out the importance to discuss the rights and wellbeing of soldiers in EU Member States at the European Parliament.

Emmanuel Jacob was the first speaker. After a brief presentation of the goals of EUROMIL, he explained the importance of the right of association for military personnel and expressed his concern that military personnel are still denied this right in some European countries. He emphasized that in EUROMIL’s experience, the right of association for military personnel does neither undermine military authority nor disrupt the chain of command. No loss of military efficiency or discipline can be observed in countries which have granted full association rights for their soldiers. He furthermore pointed out that the right of association in trade unions or professional associations without a well-defined framework for a social dialogue with mutual respect for all partners, is an empty box.

Besides the right of association, Mr. Jacob also explained the importance of social and working conditions of military personnel especially for those serving under the EU flag in CSDP missions. He finished by saying: “Security has a social dimension: The future framework of the European defence should include a strong social and human dimension!”.

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