The CSDP’s renaissance. Challenges and opportunities for the eastern flank

Abstract:

On 22 June the European Council agreed on the need to launch a permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) in the field of security and defence. Thus, the last of the discussed initiatives on the development of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) gained political support and will be implemented.

Debates on the CSDP have gained momentum since mid-2016 due to a combination of three factors: the UK’s decision to leave the EU, the adoption of the Global Strategy for the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy, and some EU member states’ dislike of Donald Trump, combined with the conviction that it is necessary to reduce the EU’s dependence on the USA. The year-long negotiations have resulted in the creation of military planning and conduct capability, the establishment of the European Defence Fund, and of the coordinated annual review on defence, and the decision to activate PESCO.

ESO: Background information: European defence – A year on from the global strategy ( European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service, July 2017) http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-defence-a-year-on-from-the-global-strategy/

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