The Nordic countries and their attitude towards new initiatives for European defense cooperation

Recent years has seen the rise of several new regional initiatives for European defense cooperation. Of most importance for Denmark is the French-led European Intervention Initiative (EI2), the British-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), German-led Framework Nations Concept (FNC) and Nordic defense cooperation (NORDEFCO). While seen strictly as a supplement to other organizations such as NATO, Denmark has overall welcomed these initiatives as flexible new frameworks that can potentially help contribute to a host of European security challenges, in a time where Denmark is increasingly barred from participating in European defense cooperation in the EU due to the Danish defense opt-out. Another important factor for Danish participation includes using the new initiatives to strengthen and to maintain bilateral relations with France, Great Britain, Germany and the Nordic Countries.

Read the analysis on Denmark as well as the full report on Nordic views on these issues at the webpage of the Utrikespolitiska Institutet (UI)