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L’Union européenne de la défense: Commentaire article par article
L’Union européenne de la défense, qui se construit depuis quelques années dans un contexte sécuritaire préoccupant, dépend du droit de l’Union, c’est-à dire tant des règles fixées par les États membres dans les traités que de celles adoptées par les institutions européennes. En effet, l’Union européenne de la défense ne…
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The European Defence Commissioner is Here
By introducing a defence commissioner, Ursula von der Leyen’s second European Commission makes clear that Europe’s security is an urgent priority. Defence industrial policy will, by necessity, be a key focus. IP Quarterly, 2024 Read Image credit: All rights reserved Copyright owner © John Thys/Pool via REUTERS
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Keep it Moving: From Mobility to Logistics in European Defence
The European Union (EU) has been developing military mobility, but so far with mixed results. It is time to rethink these efforts by investing more generally in military logistics. With the forthcoming “Niinistö Report” and defence White Paper, there is an opportunity to develop the EU’s defence preparedness and make…
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Towards Ambition and Consistency in European Defence Investments
Following the results of the European elections, Ursula von der Leyen delivered a statement at the European Parliament on 18 July 2024 to support her second mandate as European Commission President. Outlining her vision for the future, the President stated that Europe “can choose to invest in the security and…
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Security of Supply: How Can the EU Help Ensure Defence Preparedness?
Given the geopolitical outlook for Europe, security of supply is a necessary element of enhancing the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and ensuring industrial readiness and strategic autonomy. The European Commission has proposed a security of supply regime, not least to overcome market fragmentation. A key challenge will…
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A Partner of Choice? Spain’s Performance in the European Defence Fund in 2023
Real Instituto Elcano Since 2021 there have been three calls of proposals under the European Defence Fund (EDF). The 2023 results publicly released by the European Commission in May 2024 reveal that Spain continues to perform well as to the Fund. This can be seen in the way Spain is…
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Strategic Domains: Developing the EU’s Capabilities and Enablers for a Free and Secure Global Order
Future Europe – European Liberal Forum The deteriorating global security order is calling into question old certainties about how freely and securely Europe can access and use global commons such as the seas, air and space. The rise of authoritarian and revisionist powers will only make it more challenging for…
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Defending Europe, That is the Question
In this edition of the European Council Experts’ Debrief, our experts focus on the theme of security and defence. We asked eleven experts to respond to the following question, formulated by TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos and Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili: “In view of the multiple new threats in a rapidly…
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NATO Summit in Washington: Critical Infrastructure Protection
Instituto da Defesa Nacional Portugal The recent NATO summit, held in Washington from 9 to 11 July, marked the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, in the same city where, in 1949, twelve countries, including Portugal, signed this treaty to ensure their collective defence. The meeting brought together…
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The 7Ds – Defence in Depth
When an idea like the defence community re-emerges regularly over the course of 70 years but is never realised, what does this tell us? The message is, first, that the idea is backed by a strong rationale that does not allow us simply to shelve it and move on; but…
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Defence Industry: A New Chapter of Transatlantic Friction?
In profound and significant ways, the defence industry is at the heart of debates about how to organise transatlantic defence cooperation. The United States (US) and its defence industry continue to sell military capabilities and equipment to Europe, a condition that has developed over several decades. The predominant role of American defence…
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Defence as a core pillar of European integration
CIDOB Monographs nº 88 The politicisation of European affairs, and the steady rise of clashing views on them, is a growing and irrepressible phenomenon. In this context, the outcome of the elections to the European Parliament will determine the future of the legislative process on many issues: the green agenda,…
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Order, Counter-Order, Disorder? Regional and Global Security Orders in the Shadow of Sino-American Competition
As part of an international security seminar organised by the US Military Academy, West Point, in February 2023, a collection of essays have been produced based on the panel sessions. I was extremely pleased to contribute three essays to the collection along with my great American colleagues. The three papers…
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Une stratégie industrielle de défense pour l’UE : quelles perspectives ?
In this interview, I speak with Joseph Herontin for DSI Magazine about the European Defence Industrial Strategy. Buy the magazine
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Beyond Strategy? Industrial Strategy and the Future of European Defence
On 5 March 2024, the European Union published its first ever European Defence Industrial Strategy. In the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Europe understands that investing in its defence industrial and technological base is a core way of enhancing Europe’s defence, playing a bigger role in transatlantic burden-sharing and lowering manufacturing and technology…
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War Economy: Ukraine, the European Union and the Defence Technological and Industrial Base
Ukraine’s defence industry has become a central feature of the country’s military strategy against Russia, and the European Union (EU) understood early on the potential of cooperation with Ukraine in this sector. This CSDS Policy Brief explains how there are several challenges to integrating Ukraine’s defence industry into the European Defence…
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A Maltese View on French-German Leadership
Pour Malte, il n’y a pas d’alternative au moteur franco-allemand, explique Daniel Fiott dans le 7ème épisode de notre cycle « Vous avez dit leadership ? ». En tant qu’État insulaire particulièrement sensible aux intérêts des pays à la périphérie de l’Europe, Malte occupe une position clé en termes de…
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How Europe is preparing for Trump II
The US Presidential elections has cast a shadow over Europe. Although still more than half a year away and with an uncertain outcome, the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House is widely viewed by politicians, officials, experts and the public across Europe as a challenge for international…
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From Liberalisation to Industrial Policy: Towards a Geoeconomic Turn in the European Defence Market?
The European defence market can be described as a geoeconomically relevant sector that forms part of Europe’s overall economy, not least in the way that it is a producer of military capabilities and technologies and a repository of scientific skills. Traditionally, European Union (EU)-level steps to support and liberalise the…
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In Whose Interests? Regulating Europe’s Defence Industry and the Politics of Exemptions
The European Union (EU) needs to ramp-up its defence-industrial production and it is looking to do this with a new financial tool termed the European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP). The introduction of the EDIP will raise questions about the European Commission’s commitment to market liberalisation in the defence sector. Joint…
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Military Attacks and the European Union
The EU’s “Mutual Assistance Clause” is designed to ensure an EU-wide response in case of an act of armed aggression against any member state. Yet, the treaties are unclear about what a response should look like in practice, even though the unique character of individual member states is maintained. As…
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Military-Technological Cooperation Across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific
The “AUKUS” agreement between Australia, United Kingdom and United States has emerged as the paragon of military-technological cooperation across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. There are considerable challenges to implementation. However, it is important that the AUKUS program be a success because it is a daring and novel approach to…
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The Turning Tide? A European Agenda for the Washington Summit
War has raged in Ukraine for close to two years now, and Russia’s illegal war continues to pose a strategic dilemma for NATO and the European Union. Although allies are producing more ammunition and equipment, there is a risk that Europeans do too little, too late. There may only be…
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My work with the Real Instituto Elcano in 2023
Another year over. As a Non-Resident Fellow at the Real Instituto Elcano, I have had the great pleasure of working closely with my colleagues in the Brussels office and at our headquarters in Madrid. I want to thank all of my colleagues and the Institute’s leadership. It has been a…
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My Work with CSDS in 2023 – A Year in Review
Wishing my followers a Happy New Year and all the best for 2024! Here’s a round-up of my work with CSDS in 2023. It was a productive year for publications. I published 3 peer-reviewed articles including: In Every Crisis an Opportunity? European Union Integration in Defence and the War on…
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Defence Matters: Ten Years of European Defence and What Has Really Been Achieved?
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…
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Europe’s Geopolitical Coming of Age Requires Greater Defense Efforts
Having already experienced what life is like under a Donald Trump US presidency, the Europeans presently seem rather blasé about what a potential second Trump administration could entail for the European Union and NATO. For all his (very real) sins, Trump gave voice to the long-standing tensions at the heart…
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Deterrence and Economic Security: A Dialogue in Japan
I spent the best part of a week in Japan as part of a NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) project we are running on future trends in the Indo-Pacific. It was an intensive week of events and meetings and I was privileged to exchange views with government(al) representatives…
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Grand Designs: The EU’s Future Political Structures in Times of Crisis and Geopolitical Transition
The advent of institutional change in the European Union will inevitably give rise to new and old ideas about bureaucratic design. As the clock runs down on the present legislature and European Commission, expect calls for new bodies and the reshuffling of existing structures. Before this author reflects on some…
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The EU Defence Industrial Strategy: Some Preliminary Reflections
Daniel Fiott In advance of the 2024 EU Defence Industrial Strategy, and before I write a more focused and substantial piece of analysis, I wanted to lay out some key themes and issues that will confront the drafters of the new Strategy. First, let me say that the Strategy itself…
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Daniel Fiott 