Page 25 - North Atlantic and Nordic Defense

North European and North Atlantic Defense: The Challenges Return

The web site of the new center provides an overview on the organization and focus of attention.

FIGURE 5 THE NEW EUROPEAN CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR COUNTERING HYBRID THREATS

Hybrid CoE is to serve as a hub of expertise supporting the Participants’ individual and collective
efforts to enhance their civil-military capabilities, resilience, and preparedness to counter hybrid threats
with a special focus on European security. It is intended that the Centre will offer this collective
experience and expertise for the benefit of all Participants, as well as the EU and NATO. The Centre
will follow a comprehensive, multinational, multidisciplinary and academic-based approach.

The aim of Hybrid CoE is to provide a single location dedicated to furthering a common understanding
of hybrid threats at strategic level and promoting the development of comprehensive, whole-of-
government response at national levels and of coordinated response at EU and NATO levels.

In addressing these questions, the functions of Hybrid CoE include the following:

• to encourage strategic-level dialogue and consulting between and among Participants, the EU
and NATO;
• to conduct research and analysis into hybrid threats and methods to counter such threats;
• to develop doctrine, conduct training and arrange exercises aimed at enhancing the
Participants’ individual capabilities, as well as interoperability between and among Participants,
the EU and NATO for countering hybrid threats;
• to engage with and invite dialogue with governmental and non-governmental experts from a
wide range of professional sectors and disciplines; and
• to involve, or cooperate with, communities of interest (COI) focusing on specific activities that
may constitute hybrid threats, on methodologies for understanding these activities, and on ways
to adjust organisations to better address such threats effectively.

The Steering Board (SB), consisting of representatives of the Participants, is the principal decision-
making body in the Centre. Staff representatives from the EU and NATO are invited to attend the
Steering Board meetings.

The SB is to set the policies and approve the work programme, to approve the budget and the
accounts, to approve the annual participation fees, to approve the admission of new Participants, to
adopt internal regulations and to approve such guidance as may be necessary for the functioning of the
Centre and its organs.

The host country of the Secretariat is Finland. The Centre has a domestic legal personality and capacity
to perform its functions in the Republic of Finland in accordance with national legislation that entered
into force on 1 July 2017.

The secretariat in Helsinki, headed by the Director, will manage the Centre’s administration and
common functions. It will coordinate the relevant activities of the communities of interest on (1) hybrid
influencing, (2) terrorism and radicalism, and (3) vulnerabilities and resilience. The secretariat is also to

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