International Security and the Role of the Czech Republic in International Security Relations

International Projects

COLOMBIAN COCAINE NETWORKS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Project Head Researcher
Carlos Resa Nestares (Madrid Autonomous University)

Project Fellow Researchers
(from the Czech Republic:) Miroslav Nožina

Benefactor: European Commission (AGIS Programme)
Time frame: 2005 - Autumn 2007
Project description: Over three and a half million of individuals in the EU members states consume cocaine annually — and the numbers have being growing in the past decade. They spend over eight billion euros to satisfy their cocaine needs, that exceed one hundred metric tons. Against these background, very little or nothing is known about how this cocaine reaches the European shores and middlemen from the universal hub and major production centre in Colombia. This project is aimed at closing that gap by making extensive, in-depth research on the Colombian cocaine networks established in the EU and their national allies, as they are responsible for a overwhelming majority of this illegal, trans-Atlantic trade. The project shall focus on four countries chosen for their relevance in cocaine distribution: the two main entry-gates for cocaine in the EU, Spain and the Netherlands; a large and important transit country, France; and a new member state, the Czech Republic. By using a multi-component methodology, the research is intended to identifying the nature and functioning of the heterogeneous, fast-changing Colombian cocaine networks with their respective strengths and weaknesses, their strategies to avoid penetration by security agencies and to market their products, the structural factors that facilitate their establishment and advancement, as well as identifying successful strategies to dismantle these network that are essential to explain the amplitud of the EU cocaine market. Finally, the project shall identify their intra-EU relationships in order to test whether the freedom of human and merchandise cross-border freedom within the EU has had an impact on their extent and organisation. Subsequent seminars shall be used to spread this unique information and knowledge to specific audiences within law enforcement agencies in member states.

TRANSNATIONAL TERRORISM, SECURITY AND THE RULE OF LAW

Project Head Researcher
COT (the Netherlands)

Project Fellow Researchers
(from Czech Republic:) Veronika Bílková, Ondřej Ditrych, Vít Střítecký

Benefactor: European Commission (Sixth Framework Programme)
Time frame: June 2006 - December 2008
Project description: The Project is aimed at framing the current nature of the threat of terrorism as it exists within the EU, and at generating insight into the various response options to terrorism that are available to European governments. The research bridges the gap between the general scientific approach to terrorism and insight into the effectiveness of the various available response options. It focuses on a broad range of topics, including the development of the European security-discourse as a consequence of contemporary terrorism, its broader societal consequences such as radicalisation, its effects on civil order, as well as the way in which these issues are framed and affected by the media. The outcome of the efforts will thus be a better understanding of the issues at hand, as well as recommendations as to solutions to some of the most pressing policy issues arising from the threat of terrorism in the EU. The project is conducted by a consortium of organizations (COT, TNO, DCISM, FRIDE, IIR a CLINGENDAEL)
Outcomes:
For more detailed information see the project website.

Research and Training Network Project “Democratic Accountability of ESDP” (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Patricia Chilton

Project Fellow Researchers
Radek Khol

The project of nine different institutions focused on various dimensions of building of the European security and defense policy, including mechanisms of its democratic parliamentary control. During 2002 a team of pre-doc and post-doc research fellows was composed; from September 2002 to September 2004, a pre-doc research fellow Matúš Korba was a member of the team in the IIR. In 2003, further thematic workshops in Brussels, Norwich and Madrid were organized, and national studies of mechanisms of democratic control of security and defense policies were in preparation. The IIR was charged with preparing the case studies concerning the Czech and Slovak Republics.

FORNET – European Policy Research Network (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Christopher Hill

Project Fellow Researchers
Radek Khol

A research project of a group of European research institutions focused on various aspects of the ESDP. In 2003, several workshops were organized (Vienna, London), aimed at the CFSP theories, regional dimension and the EU enlargement. FORNET publishes a CFSP Watch and CFSP Forum online. During the first year of FORNET operation, national chapters were composed, which summarize policies, previous debate and expertise concerning the CFSP of the EU in individual member countries. The Czech chapter was composed by Radek Khol and Hana Moťková.

Second Round of NATO Enlargement (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
August Pradetto

Project Fellow Researchers
Radek Khol

The international research project focused on mapping and comparative analysis of the second wave of NATO enlargement after 1989 that culminated in inviting seven new countries to the NATO Summit in Prague in November 2002. National chapters focused on the analysis of domestic debates and discourses related to main topics and incentives for the second round of NATO enlargement.

Security Yearbook 2004 (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Hans J. Giessmann

Project Fellow Researchers
Radek Khol, Hana Moťková

Output/Resulting Study
Security Yearbook 2004

The international research project was aimed at preparing another issue of the longest issued yearbook in security field in Germany dealing with mapping and comparative analysis of security and defense policies of Central and Eastern European countries, supplemented with security development in the EU, NATO, and UN between Autumn 2002 to December 2003.

MFA Funded Projects

New US National Security Strategy (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Radek Khol

Project Fellow Researchers
Veronika Bílková, Jan Eichler, Vladimír Handl, Matúš Korba, Hana Moťková

The project focused on current issues of the new US National Security Strategy adopted in September 2002. The goal was not only to analyse the contemporary US security debate after President Bush introduction to the office, but also the study of European allies, Russia, and China, including the perspective of international law. Specific suggestions on possible ramifications of the new US security strategy for the Czech Republic and NATO as a whole were an important part of the project.

International Terrorism as an International Relations Factor and Impacts for the Czech Republic (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Miroslav Nožina

Project Fellow Researchers
Jiří Šedivý, Jan Eichler, Veronika Bílková, Jaroslav Bureš, Filip Tesař, Vladimír Votápek, Rudolf Fürst, Mesfin Gedlu, Martin Ehl, Radek Khol, Matúš Korba, Vladimír Handl

The project analyzed the phenomenon of terrorism, its definition, strategy and tactics. Its aim was also to draw attention to changes that terrorism undergoes especially in last three decades, and the development context crucial to count with in international relations. Further on, it dealt with the territorial analysis of terrorism in the Middle East, the Balkans, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the USA, and Europe. Its third topic was to map the creating of international legal framework of the fight against terrorism on the universal level. The main goal was to evaluate the feasibility of translating these legal agreements into action at the present state of international political situation and their impact and relation to laws of the Czech Republic.

Domestic or International Projects in Which Researchers of the IIR Take Part

EVALUATION OF SECURITY THREATS AND RISKS AT THE BEGINNING OF 21st CENTURY

Project Head Researcher
Jan Eichler

Benefactor: Grant Agency of the Czech Republic
Time frame: January 2005 - December 2007
Project Description: The project deals with evaluation of security threats and risks, focusing mainly on global terrorism and wars of the postconfrontational period.
Outcomes: Mezinárodní bezpečnost na počátku 21. Století [International Security at the beginning of 21st Century]. Prague: AVIS Praha, 2006.
For more detailed information about the project see the Research and Development website (Project ID: GA407/05/0880).

Europe and NATO after the Cold War (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Alexandr Ort

Project Fellow Researchers
Jan Eichler

The project dealt with serious changes in security strategy of NATO after the Cold War. It covered especially the transformation process of NATO, its enlargement, and strategic concepts from 1991 and 1999 on NATO approach to main security threats of the contemporary world. Mr. Eichler’s contribution was on NATO after the Cold War.

The Perspectives of Czech—Slovak Military Cooperation (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Radek Khol

Project Fellow Researchers
Matúš Korba, Ivo Samson

Output/Resulting Study
Policy paper

The project resumed the MFA project of 2002 and focused exclusively on the bilateral Czech—Slovak military cooperation perspectives in general military policy, building multinational and ad-hoc units and common purchase of costly weapon systems. A policy paper based on an international workshop was prepared, summarizing practical suggestions for the Czech and Slovak Republics with a forecast up to 2010.

International Organized Crime in the Czech Republic (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Miroslav Nožina

Expert group consisting of workers at the Organized Crime Unit, and Anti-Drug Unit of the Czech Police, Criminology and Social Prevention Institute
Study “International Organized Crime in the Czech Republic”.
The issue of groups of organized criminals penetrating to/through the Czech Republic (origin, history, composition, ways of penetrating abroad, main activities, development trends, security strategy) was explored.

Organized Crime in Europe. Manifestations and Policies in the European Union and Beyond (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Cyrille Fijnaut, Letizia Paoli

Project Fellow Researchers
Miroslav Nožina (IIR), group of international experts on organized crime issue and security

The project focused on history and the current state of organized crime in Europe. It analysed the situation in individual European countries and the possibilities and perspectives of the European police and judicial cooperation.

Whose Security? The Area of Freedom, Security and Justice in the Enlarged Europe (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Karen Henderson

Project Fellow Researchers
Miroslav Nožina, Jörg Monar, Iwona Piorko, Monika Sie Dhian Ho, Alexander Duleba, Vladimír Bilčík, Heather Grabe

The project aimed to create an expert study paper dealing with security issues in the enlarged EU, especially in respect to so-called new threats as organized crime, terrorism, migration, etc. The project analysed these threats and evaluated them. In its parallel plan, it dealt with the issue of the European security cooperation.

Internal IIR Projects

The Conflict Prevention Policy of the EU and Its Institutionalization (the project has already been finished)

Project Head Researcher
Jan Karlas

The project covered the EU policy of outside conflicts prevention with a special emphasis on its institutionalization. It compared the goals and effort of the EC and the EFSP in this area. It examined the policy of conflict prevention in individual regions. The project further analysed changes in the policy institutionalization in recent years resulting from the European security and defense policy building. Within the project, theories of European integration were also examined using this topic as its framework.