Jo Coelmont

Biography

With the Honorary Fellowship, Egmont recognises scholars and practitioners of international relations whose contribution was defining for our work.

Brigadier General Jo Coelmont’s close relationship with Egmont started when he was the Belgian Permanent Military Representative to the Military Committee of the European Union. From the creation of the Europe in the World Programme, in 2002, Jo contributed his insights and his network. After retiring from active duty on 1 April 2008 (he also left the reserve forces on 31 December 2012), Jo became a Senior Associate Fellow, contributing numerous publications, all widely read on European defence. He also joined the Royal Higher Institute for Defence as a Senior Fellow. If Egmont established itself as a leading voice in that area, it is in no small part due to Jo’s sterling achievements.

Previously, Jo was the Belgian Permanent Representative to the Military Committee of the European Union and the Western European Union and Military Advisor to the Belgian Ambassador to the Political and Security Committee of the European Union, from January 2002 to October 2007. In April 2006 he was elected as Dean of the EUMC.

In 2000 he was assigned to the Private Office of the Minister of Defence as Military Advisor for European Security and Defence Policy in view of the Belgian Presidency of the EU during the second half of 2001.

In 1997 he was appointed to the Royal Defence Institute, first as military professor in the Department of Security and Defence Policy, later as head of the Air Force Department. Upon graduation from NATO Defence College (Senior Course) in 1996, he became Deputy Military Adviser to the WEU Ambassador during the Belgian Presidency. In 1993 he graduated from the Belgian Royal Defence College and subsequently was assigned to the Joint Staff – International Relations and Defence Policy Branch.

Jo began his career in the Air Force in 1974 where he held several functions at the level of an operational unit, the tactical headquarters and the Air staff. He graduated in 1973 from the Royal Military Academy (Master in Military and Aeronautical Sciences) and in 1985 from EHSAL (Economische Hogeschool Sint-Aloysius – Brussels, Master in Economic Sciences, orientation International Economics and Diplomatic Relations).

Publications

• A “military pillar” in the European Union: Crisis management, Capabilities and Coherence (3 Cs) – And EU-US Cooperation (a 4th C) Security Policy Briefs (27-06-2023)
• A Brussels Declaration for an “Ever Closer Union” Security Policy Briefs (29-03-2022)
• Seven steps to European Defence, Transatlantic Equilibrium, and Global Europe Security Policy Briefs (12-10-2021)
• Ik weet wat quarantaine is. Zie het niet als onrecht en help elkaar Commentaries (23-04-2020)
• How will the coronavirus epidemic impact the European Union? Commentaries (27-03-2020)
• Will a European Security Council bring strategic relevance? Security Policy Briefs (23-03-2020)
• Will a European Security Council bring strategic relevance? Commentaries (4-03-2020)
• Commentary: An EU Security Council and a European Commissioner for Security and Defence: the final pieces of the Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy puzzle? Commentaries (9-09-2019)
• An EU Security Council and a European Commissioner for Security and Defence: The Final Pieces of the Union’s Common Security & Defence Policy Puzzle? Security Policy Briefs (17-07-2019)
• European Strategic Autonomy: which military level of ambition? Security Policy Briefs (26-03-2019)
• With PESCO brought to life, will European defence live happily ever after? Security Policy Briefs (19-07-2017)
• Permanent Sovereign COoperation (PESCO) to underpin the EU Global Strategy Security Policy Briefs (13-12-2016)
• After the EU Global Strategy – Consulting the experts – Security and defence External publications (31-10-2016)
• The EUGS: Realistic, but not too modest, please External publications (24-10-2016)
• The EU Global Strategy and Defence: The challenge of thinking strategically about means Security Policy Briefs (3-10-2016)
• Message to – and from – the European political leadership: Agreeing to disagree on strategy is a luxury the EU can no longer afford Security Policy Briefs (2-05-2016)
• Judy Asks: Is a European Security Policy Finally Possible? Commentaries (31-03-2016)
• European Strategy, European Defence and the CSDP External publications (17-11-2015)
• An EU global strategy for foreign and security policy… and even defence Commentaries (12-10-2015)
• No prevention without defence Commentaries (3-10-2015)