Bieńkowska launches high-level defence research group

Elżbieta Bieńkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, launched on 30 March 2015 a new high-level group to advise the European Union on how it can support research on a future defence union.

The group consists of 16 people, including EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, former Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, a former defence minister of Poland, CEOs of companies in the defence sectors, parliamentarians and presidents of think tanks.

One of its members told EurActiv that the creation of this group followed the conclusions of the European Council which took place in December 2013, with the purpose of preparing proposals for the long-term EU budget 2020-2027. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker had recently defended the creation of a European army to counter external threats.

ESO: Background information: European Council, Brussels, 19-20 December 2013. Presidency Conclusions - Common Security and Defence Policy http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-council-brussels-19-20-december-2013-presidency-conclusions-common-security-and-defence-policy/

ESO: Background information: Juncker: NATO is not enough, EU needs an army http://www.europeansources.info/record/juncker-nato-is-not-enough-eu-needs-an-army/

European Commission: DG Growth: High-level Group of Personalities on defence research issues statement http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=8311&lang=en

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