The Defence Policy Commission, appointed by the Norwegian government, submitted its final report today. The Commission recommends a change in the general emphasis from the traditional anti-invasion defence structure to a wider and more balanced one. To achieve this, the required reforms include a substantial reduction in the peacetime organisation, which should also be adapted to new tasks. The Commission wishes to see the establishment of a broad political agreement across the parliamentary parties to achieve a more predictable long-time framework for defence planning. The proposed economic framework provides for an overall reduction of possibly 6000 personnel. The Commission estimates that the gross savings in operational costs will amount to NOK 4.5 billion in the period 2003-2005, and NOK 2.6 billion annually thereafter. The Commission proposes to keep conscription, but in a way that will be better adapted to the changed needs of the armed forces.

The Commission was appointed 16 July 1999 by Prime Minister Bondevik’s government. It has consisted of representatives from the parliamentary parties, a representative of the Norwegian chief of defence and people from security and defence policy circles.

The Commission outlines five fundamental factors:

• The Commission recommends a predictable framework from start to end in the restructuring process. Such predictability can only be established by a broad and committed political agreement. The Commission recommends the establishment of such a agreement across the parliamentary parties. The agreement should be based on the full set of recommendations from the Commission, but must be established through new political processes.
• Second, the Commission recommends that the reform should be passed and presented as a single comprehensive reform package of clearly defined duration (until 2005).
• Third, the Commission recommends a vigorous implementation.
• Fourth, the Commission recommends new ways of implementing reform. For an overall reduction of possibly 6000 personnel, the Commission regards a one-off payment, in the order of approximately 2^2 years of pay, as an essential factor. To retain required competence in the organisation, substantial rearrangements in the disposition of operational costs from the very first year are proposed in order to improve competence and quality in the operational part of the organisation.
• Fifth, the number of locations must reduced substantially.

The Commission has found a number of unsatisfactory aspects of the present practice of conscription. The principle of national military service, however, should be retained. The Commission has identified three fundamental principles for future military service: It must satisfy the requirements of the armed forces, national service must be meaningful for the individual, and there must be broad public support and an equitable burden-sharing. The Commission proposes a system of military service where the upper age limit for the call-up rolls for mobilisation is reduced from the present 44 years to 34 years for territorial defence, and 27 years for the services. In addition, national service should be more differentiated. Territorial defence forces should have 4 months of initial training and annual, short periods of refresher training. The personnel in the services should be serving for 12 months with one or no refresher training periods thereafter.

The Commission outlines two models for the organisation of the command structure at the national level: one where the civilian and military leadership is integrated and one where they are separate. The Commission has not reached an agreement on which of the two to recommend: the integrated model (which would require a merger of the present ministry and national military headquarters) or the separated model (the present set-up).

The Commission concludes that the future defence forces need to be flexible and able to meet a wider set of challenges with individual time frames. Norway will remain dependent on meeting challenges to national security in co-operation with others. The principal objective of further development of international military co-operation must be to adapt the links between Norway and her allies to a new situation while maintaining the likelihood of allied reinforcements in times of crisis or war. Norwegian participation in military activities abroad will thus be even more important for Norway to be considered a credible co-operation partner. Participation in international operations will be a measure of Norwegian effort in a burden-sharing perspective, as well as an important channel for influence, competence-building and development of interoperability.

Both civilian and military resources will remain important to protect Norwegian national interests, freedom of action and security. The total defence concept must thus be substantially revitalised and reinforced in line with altered conditions. The delineation between peace and war, and between civilian activities and military operations, has become ever less clear. An extended civilian- military co-operation can contribute in countering negative effects of internationalisation, globalisation and privatisation.