ECONOMY AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF NATIONAL SECURITY

Abstract

The opinions expressed in this paper reflect important economic and social aspects of national security, highlighting some recent developments arising from vulnerabilities and causes that undermine and/or affect the security and stability of the national state. The frequent changes in the political, economic and military situations that occurred in the last years show slight tensions of the international relations and a massive increase in the economic gaps between countries and regions that may further degenerate into severe economic crisis. The researchers' scientific approach focuses on analyzing the economy as an integral part of national security and the environment as a pillar of national and international stability.

Headnote

The opinions expressed in this paper reflect important economic and social aspects of national security, highlighting some recent developments arising from vulnerabilities and causes that undermine and / or affect the security and stability of the national state.

The frequent changes in the political, economic and military situations that occurred in the last years show slight tensions of the international relations and a massive increase in the economic gaps between countries and regions that may further degenerate into severe economic crisis. Our scientific approach focuses on analyzing the economy as an integral part of national security and the environment as a pillar of national and international stability.

Introduction

National security can only be achieved on a well-defined economic support which has enough material, financial, scientific, human premises "To discuss about the national security, or to design without having in mind its economic component is similar to rising a sand castle close to the sea waves."1 Thus, economic security is an essential component of national security. This is mostly visible when the economic situation encompasses features like balance, legality and sustainable development. The most important risk factors that affect the security of a state are of economic nature; for e.g. risks relating to the supply of raw materials, lack of funds needed for investment, the absence of markets', environmental degradation, lack of reliability of the nuclear power plants, restrictions on access to natural resources and so on.

Based on elaborated strategies, the economy puts into operation a political concept, developing financially effective and rational policies. At the same time, economic and financial interests form a solid support of a state policy. Hence, the actual quality of economic and financial policies depends on the combination of the aforementioned elements with military, social, environmental and cultural responsibilities of a state. The aim is to be able to develop favorable decision making leading to positive developments in economic security.

Achieving security and national defense depends heavily on economic resources owned by a country at a respective point in time. In a global environment this is especially viable with economic power being imperative in designating the role of a nation regionally and globally.

1. Economy, component of national security

The last decades portray a new hierarchy for the security areas, with economic, ecological, political and, later on, military components being primarily influential. The fight for resources has increased and the economy has become a veritable place of confrontation in order to achieve strategic and political objectives of security of states. In other words, a loss in the economic field would translate into a significant loss of political capital, which equivalents with a much heavier defeat than a military one.

Also the quality of economic growth (whose source is determinate by consumption) has a major role in the economic development. What does, however, improve the quality of economic growth? Firstly, the development of the industry and agriculture. In Romania, the industry growth rate, especially the manufacturing area, has decreased. The process of restructuring the economy is slow and local producers cannot handle the rising demands. Consequently, over 82% of the increase in the intern demand is met by imported goods.2 Demand increases both because more and more money are transferred home by Romanians citizens working abroad, but also because of the internal increase in income. Exports are discouraged by a multitude of factors with competitiveness of local production steadily declining - mainly due to the increase in energy resources prices. As a consequence, the goods become more expensive, manufacturers spending more on electric power, gas and other raw materials. Romanian products cannot compete with foreign ones on either European or domestic markets, given that foreign producers are granted subsidies and other tax benefits by governments of countries where they operate. Also, sanitary and phytosanitary standards on export to the EU countries are very strict.

2. The economy and the environment

With regards to the environmental objectives that the EU has set for 2020 since 2007, they include: 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; increasing energy efficiency by 20% and 20% increase in renewable resources energy use out of the total energy consumption.3 Further, the quoted below reveals the position on these issues of the previous President of the European Commission - José Manuel Barroso: "Our mission, indeed our duty, is to provide the right policy framework to transform the European economy into an economy with reduced carbon emissions and to continue to lead the international action to protect our planet". The package of measures to combat climate change aims to ensure the sustainable development of the planet, provide new business opportunities for European companies and improve security of energy supply through a shift towards renewable resources energy.

Taking into account that economic and social developments are interrelated and influence each other, a synchronized and multilateral perspective for development should be used to advance both these areas. Economic growth alone cannot be pursued at the expense of ignoring social contradictions, since the latter will become the trigger of social instability. In this regard, we note the initiative of former United Nations General Secretary, Kofi Annan4 to implement a complex strategy based on economic and social development focused on poverty elimination, jobs creation and building a harmonious society.

3. Sustainable development, prerequisite for economic development

The environment is increasingly threatened by human activities driven by excessive use of natural resources. The effects translate mostly into large scale pollution of air and water. In the last thirty years, the European Union has been increasingly active in this area, proposing programs and approving policies to protect the natural environment. It has stimulated investments in creating new means of production that do not harm the environment ("Clean technologies") and helped shaping public opinion for a better understanding of the dangers associated with pollution.

The EU Model has been and continues to be shared by most Member States. Based on cooperation and reciprocity, the member states recognized pollution cannot be limited by interstate borders and have initiated a number of relevant actions in the field.

The lack of resources or uneven access to these affect relations between states. Due to: natural disasters becoming more frequent, high scarcity of energy resources, population growth in developing areas where food and water supplies are low and global warming - the stability and security of states is reduced and their economic development stagnates. Poor governance, social problems, ethnic and religious conflicts, fluid and unpredictable international relations have led to large-scale economic problems, even causing the collapse of some states. This is the reality of the current security environment which requires the creation and strengthening of partnerships, but also new forms of regional and global cooperation. The global economy is increasingly dependent on energy resources, with the main resource, oil, being currently the cause of many conflicts worldwide. On further analysis, one can easily notice that most often conflict zones are also the areas with important natural resources, but with an economy generally underdeveloped. All in all, it can be said that this century's geopolitics has been caused by the fight for resources.

4. National security, supporting pillar of economic development

In a state with a stable security environment, economy is growing. This is due, firstly, because the state allows itself to participate in beneficial partnerships and forge alliances that can attract foreign investment. This allows the state to develop their economic infrastructure, use tourism potential, own stable outlets, and have a low unemployment rate and a high living standard. Also, a developed economic nation can negotiate favorable terms during economic exchanges, attract foreign investment, ensure a decent living standard for its citizens and allocate substantial funds to important sectors like health, education, social protection - the prerequisites of a stable security environment. It also has a high GDP and thus a consistently high defense budget.

Between the two components, namely economic development and security, there is a strong dependence. Thereby, the more economically developed a country is, the more stable its security environment is. Similarly, the reverse is true: the more stable is a security environment, the stronger and obviously sustainable is the economic development of a country. This can be seen from a careful analysis of the developed countries. Thus, if we consider the main world powers, we find that these are countries with a stable security environment. The only major threats to their national security are terrorism and natural calamities, but these can also be controlled to a greater extent than in developing countries.

The main current risks and vulnerabilities against the security of a nation are generated or can be influenced worldwide by the following aspects: political instability, fierce competition for control of strategic resources, national and international corruption and organized crime, ethnic and religious politicization, legal and illegal migration, environmental degradation.

The security concept must be viewed in close correlation with the associated notions, such as national interests, national security system and institutions, national security strategy policy and means of security, national security policy objectives and national security principles5. Based on these correlations, security must be addressed as a system, since the concept involves several dimensions - political, social, military, economic and informational.

Currently, we are on the verge of a new industrial revolution which generates a fundamental structural change in the global economy. The traditional model of economic development - where GDP growth is associated with relatively high energy consumption and carbon emissions growing - is no longer viable. Moreover, it is unsustainable in terms of energy and climate security. As we intensify carbon emissions into the atmosphere we are accelerating climate change and, nowadays, this is not an environmental issue that should concern only the environmental specialists. Climate change has consequences related to human existence itself. Consequences such as floods, famine and disease amplify the migration phenomenon in areas where there are already tensions. Similarly, drought and changes in agricultural crops generate more competition for food, water and energy in regions where resources are already low.

5. International Security, the supporter of a healthy environment

NATO, the strongest international political-military alliance has the strategic objective to ensure freedom and security of all its members by political and military means in accordance with the North Atlantic Treaty and the principles the United Nations Charter. The Alliance is concerned with reducing the effects of military activities on the environment. Since it was faced with major challenges to a healthy environment, it established, since 1969, the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society.

Over the years, the allied countries have established numerous NATO assemblies to address environmental challenges. Currently, NATO's activities in the field include:

* protecting the environment from harmful effects of military operations;

* promoting ecologic management practices in the areas of training and during operations;

* continuous military adaptation to a hostile physical environment;

* readiness for response to natural or anthropic disasters;

* impacts of climate change;

* educating NATO staff on all aspects of the environment;

* supporting partner countries in building local capacities;

* increasing energy efficiency and independence from fossil fuels; and

* building green infrastructure.

All these activities fall into two broad categories: environmental protection, namely protecting the physical and natural environment from the negative impact of military activities and environmental security, assuming an approach to security challenges being generated by the physical and natural environment.

Military activities often have a negative effect on the environment in which it is conducted. Damage to the environment caused by these activities can threaten livelihoods, habitats and the human race, generating overall instability. Since the 1960s, environment experts have argued that the army should take measures to protect the natural environment from the harmful effects of its activities. Environmental degradation can cause social and economic instability and new tensions, while protecting the environment during a military operation can enhance stability and promote sustainable security. Therefore, minimizing that environmental damage during training and military operations is of great significance to the overall success of the mission.

NATO member countries are aware of the environmental challenges during military operations and adopted rules and regulations for environmental protection. NATO measures vary from protecting hazardous materials (including fuels and oils), wastewater treatment, reducing the use of fossil fuels and waste management. In line with these objectives, NATO has facilitated the integration of environmental protection measures in all military activity levels led by the Alliance.

To ensure the aforementioned standards are fulfilled, the members should receive appropriate training on environmental protection. While such training is primarily a national responsibility, it is NATO's ambition to provide general support and education in environmental issues for a more efficient process. Environmental awareness is needed in daily routine of military personnel, as well as increased personal responsibility in this area. To advance this goal, NATO has appointed staff officers for the implementation of environmental protection at strategic, operational and tactical level. NATO School in Oberammergau and the Military Engineering Centre of Excellence provides environmental protection courses and specific training. Also, NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) promotes and carries out activities of scientific research regarding specific military technical challenges, some of which are strictly related to environmental issues.

Conclusion

National security and economic strength are inextricably linked. State economy is the foundation of its military and political power. Stimulating economic growth helps decrease the pressure on the defense budgets and foreign affairs which reduces the ability of states to cope with Black Swan6 type events.

Following the financial crisis, states have transformed internally focusing more on creating jobs and reducing income inequality at home, rather than sending aid and personnel abroad. The world has changed and in the same time increased challenges appeared for national security. Irrespective of the issue of size, capacity or military componence, the economy can influence the debate on national security from a three overlapping roles. The first is economy as a source of material and personnel funds (including military). Secondly, there is economy as a provider of economic security and welfare for the population. Thirdly, there is economy as interaction platform between countries to jointly build or have competing interests. Economy also provides a cultural model, as well as other elements of soft power, particularly useful when trying to gain people's confidence.

Footnote

1 Marin Dumitru, Componenta economica a securitatii , Editura UNAp, Bucuresti, 2004, p. 25.

2 Combaterea schimbarilor climatice si dezvoltarea economica, http://ec.europa.eu/news/energy/080123_1_ ro.htm, accessed on 10.07.2015.

3 Idem.

4 Cf. Les Objectifs de L'Onu pour le Développement, http://facultate.regielive.ro/referate/franceza/expose_les_ objectifs_de_l%C3%A2_onu_pour_le_developpement-39216.html, accessed on 11.07.2015.

5 D. Dumitras, I. Giurca, Aliantele si coalitiile politico-militare, Editura Universitatii Nationale de Aparare "Carol I", Bucuresti, 2004, p. 29.

6 Nicholas Taleb - initially the metaphor referred exclusively to finances, then it was extended to great scientific discoveries, historic events and artistic achievements - unforeseen events with major effects.

References

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1. BUZAN, Barry; WAEVER, Ole; WILDE, Japp, Securitatea. Un nou cadru de analiza, Editura CA Publishing, Cluj-Napoca, 2011.

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6. Versiunea consolidata a Tratatului privind Uniunea Europeana si a Tratatului privind functionarea Uniunii Europene si Carta drepturilor fundamentale a Uniunii Europene, Consiliul Uniunii Europene, Bruxelles, 28 mai 2010.

This paper has been financially supported within the project entitled "Horizon 2020 - Doctoral and Postdoctoral Studies: Promoting the National Interest through Excellence, Competitiveness and Responsibility in the Field of Romanian Fundamental and Applied Scientific Research", contract number POSDRU/159/1.5/S/140106. This project is co-financed by European Social Fund through Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013. Investing in people!