Ten years ago to the day, Heads of State and Government met at a specially designated session of the European Council: the focus, European defence. As the meeting conclusions make clear, the leaders saw defence as a critical area of EU policy and they proclaimed their readiness to increase defence budgets, de-fragment European defence markets, develop military capabilities and enhance the visibility and impact of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). While the 2013 meeting took place in a context of budgetary austerity and the fall-out from the “Arab Spring”, today Europe is faced with far more serious crises; not least due to Russia’s war on Ukraine and profound shifts in the transatlantic relationship. The hard reality is that the past ten years have not been used optimally to help Europe fend for its own defence. To be sure, the Union has probably done more for its own defence in its response to the war on Ukraine, but the next ten years will call for an unprecedented effort by Europeans.
CSDS Policy Brief, No. 32/2023
Daniel Fiott 