EU defence cooperation is becoming more consistent

As European leaders are meeting in Brussels 25 and 26 June to discuss the state of play in European defence cooperation, there are signs that new EU actors and member states are pushing for strengthened cooperation in this area. The Council summit is a crucial step on the road for empowering EU defence cooperation in the years to come.

This DIIS report by Christine Nissenanalyses the changes made to the European Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. It concludes that the changes brought about by the Lisbon Treaty provide for increased consistency of policies and instruments. This is primarily due to the new foreign policy system of an empowered High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the creation of the European External Action Service. The road is also paved for more ambitious arrangements between the member states. That said, several of the Lisbon provisions have not yet been fully realised in practice.

The European Council’s discussion on European defence cooperation is part of a process initiated in 2013 when the Council held its first thematic debate on CSDP since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty acknowledging the political relevance of cooperation in this domain. The June summit will follow up on the work plans launched in 2013 to deepen defence cooperation, increasing the effectiveness, visibility and impact of the CSDP; enhancing and developing common capabilities and strengthening the European defence industry. Other crucial issues on the summit agenda is the creation of a new EU Security Strategy to be prepared by the High Representative in the coming year, EU relations with Russia and the situation in Ukraine, as well as the migration crisis in the Mediterranean.