21.04 - 21.04.2015, Brussels

The Ukrainian crisis, the ongoing Middle East Conflict, an unraveling of the states essentially in Syria and Iraq and the rise of the so called “Islamic State” are only a few clues of the dramatic change in the geopolitical landscape. In parallel we are observing the growing gap in Europe’s defence industrial capabilities together with the pacific orientation of the United States. This sparks the need for a substantial debate about finding the right path to a common European defence. Given the political momentum established by the European Council of December 2013, the Council conclusions of 18 November 2014 on Common Security and Defence Policy and in view of the upcoming European Council's decisions in June, it is the right moment to deepen the debate about European defence capability development.

In the September 2014 Wales Summit Declaration, the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Wales confirmed that “a strong defence industry across the Alliance, including a stronger defence industry in Europe and greater defence industrial cooperation within Europe and across the Atlantic, remains essential for delivering the required capabilities. NATO and EU efforts to strengthen defence capabilities are complementary”. Against this background the EU faces the strategic question whether to keep relying on the longstanding cooperation with the United States in defence matters or on “cooperation among Member States, including through the articulation of defence budget policies and the coordination of strategic choices concerning the acquisition of military and dual-use equipment”, like Ana Maria Gomes MEP proposes in her Draft Report on “the impact of developments in European defence markets on the security and defence capabilities in Europe” (5.3.2015). Are these choices mutually exclusive or can there be a policy mix?

For more details on this event, please contact Project Manager Sinan Müller-Karpe.
+32 2 640 6392