Tag: European Union
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In Every Crisis an Opportunity? European Union Integration in Defence and the War on Ukraine
Russia’s war on Ukraine has upended the European security order. Ukraine has requested EU membership, unprecedented sanctions have been imposed on Russia, European countries have shipped weapons and munitions to Ukraine and NATO has shored up its military presence. Despite such action, is it possible to speak of a transformative…
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Strategic Competition: Toward a Genuine Step-change for Europe’s Defense Industry?
Since 2016 the European Union has embarked on a step-change in the way it financially supports and incentivizes defense-industrial cooperation. The year 2022 will go down as another important moment in this process with the EU announcing a series of measures, such as joint defense procurement and joint planning and…
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Navigating the Euro-Atlantic Defence Innovation Landscape
This report set out to analyse emerging transatlantic defence innovation systems and the extent to which EU and NATO efforts in the domain overlap, are in conflict or have potential synergies. The overarching finding is that EU and NATO systems are separate but heavily interdependent. They are separate in terms…
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Secuelas y réplicas: Europa tras la guerra
Desde que hace ahora un año Vladimir Putin ordenara invadir su país vecino, la guerra en Ucrania se ha convertido en la cuestión central del panorama estratégico europeo y en uno de los eventos que más ha convulsionado el orden -o el desorden- internacionaldesde el fin de la Guerra Fría.…
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Annus Horribilis: Russia’s War, Ukraine’s Struggle, Europe’s Future
Abstract One year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Europe continues to support Kyiv with military equipment and financial and political support. The bravery of Ukrainians is unparalleled, but, to truly support Ukraine, Europe needs to answer serious questions about its defence. Potential future turbulence in the transatlantic relationship means…
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A Stellar Moment? Spain, Strategy and European Space
This analysis looks at the shifting nature of space, security and defence in the EU. It provides an account of the growing geopolitical contest in space and stresses the vital importance of space for Europe’s strategic autonomy. What is more, the analysis looks at Spain’s approach to space, security and…
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Yearbook of European Security 2022
Abstract The 2022 Yearbook of European Security provides an overview of events in 2021 that were significant for European security. The book charts major developments in the EU’s external action and security and defence policy. Divided into region and issue-specific sections, this Yearbook contains entries on the EU’s multilateral efforts…
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Centre of Gravity: Security and Defence in the Indo-Pacific – What Role for the European Union?
The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as the centre of gravity of global military competition, economic growth, and technological innovation. Whatever happens in the Indo-Pacific is likely to have a pervasive impact on the structure and future of international order, and the norms and institutions Europeans hold so dear. Moreover, as…
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The Strategic Compass and EU Space-based Defence Capabilities
The European Union relies on space for its economic sovereignty and security and defence. Without space-based capabilities, the EU could not enjoy any degree of strategic autonomy in security and defence. Since the adoption and endorsement of the Strategic Compass, space has only increased its relevance for the EU in…
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Europe and the South: the Maritime Dimension
Europe’s southern neighbourhood, for which the delineation varies according to the geopolitical and institutional frameworks considered, is critical from an economic and geopolitical perspective. Europe’s South remains affected by an arc of instability, running up from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the eastern fringes of the Middle East, encompassing…
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Rethinking the EU’s Approach to Space: The Case of Security and Defence
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has sent shockwaves across Europe and the world. While the current war is a geopolitical turning point, it remains unclear whether it will trigger a quantum leap forward for European defence policies and for the role of the European Union as a security provider. This Report investigates whether we…
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L’Europe doit investir davantage dans la défense collective
Depuis le début de la guerre en Ukraine , la plupart des pays de l’Union européenne ont annoncé l’intention d’augmenter, dans les années à venir, leurs dépenses militaires d’environ 200 milliards d’euros. De telles hausses budgétaires représentent à la fois une opportunité et un défi pour l’UE. Les Echos, 2022 Read more
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Collective Defence Investment: Europe Must do More and at a Faster Pace
If Europeans really intend to build a common defence industry that will allow them to face the new challenges ahead and become a credible player in the international security arena, they must do and spend more together, and they must do it now, a group of ten defence experts write.…
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L’Union européenne et la Boussole stratégique : un moment décisif ?
En pleine guerre de la Russie contre l’Ukraine, l’Union européenne (UE) a publié en mars 2022 sa stratégie de sécurité et de défense tant attendue, appelé Strategic Compass, soit la Boussole stratégique. Ce document est le premier du genre pour l’UE et il peut être assimilé à ce que les États appellent…
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European Maritime Strategies for the Middle East – Struggling for Relevance?
The Middle East is a major area of maritime trade, given the vast oil supplies in the Persian Gulf region and several gas exploitation and exploration projects in the Mediterranean. The development of these prospects and maritime trade, however, are threatened by acts of piracy and terrorist attacks in the…
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The Strategic Compass: A New Era for EU Defence?
In the midst of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the EU published its long-awaited securityand defence strategy called the “Strategic Compass”. This document is the first of its kind for the EU, and it can be likened to an EU “white book” on defence. The Strategic Compass is certainly the document…
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Gearing up for a Competitive Age: The EU as a Maritime Actor
With the Strategic Compass, the European Union has set itself a high level of ambition for its maritime security. The Compass calls for a higher level of investment in high-end naval capabilities and it underlines the importance of ongoing capability projects such as the European Patrol Corvette. The Strategic Compass…
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The Fog of War: Russia’s War on Ukraine, European Defence Spending and Military Capabilities
When war hits, some degree of analytical humility is required. No one knows how – or when – Russia’s war on Ukraine will end and the effects on European security over the medium to longer term (i.e. the next five to ten years) are unknown. Despite the analytical fog that…
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European Defense and the Security of Strategic Resources
Even before the 25 March endorsement of the EU Strategic Compass, the question of securing strategic resources was foremost on the minds of policymakers and political leaders. The experience of the lack of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic had certainly raised questions about security of supply. In particular, it…
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Rising Risks: Protecting Europe with the Strategic Compass
Abstract The Strategic Compass will guide the direction of EU security and defence until 2030, and it does so by providing a single narrative for how, why and where the EU should act to protect its interests and values. While the document is comprehensive in its understanding of the threats…
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La Brújula Estratégica y la autonomía de la UE
En plena guerra de Rusia contra Ucrania, la Unión Europea publicó en marzo su tan esperada estrategia de seguridad y defensa, denominada Brújula Estratégica. El documento es el primero de este tipo para la Unión, y puede asemejarse a lo que los Estados denominan “libro blanco” de la defensa. En…
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To face the Russian Threat, Europeans Need to Spend Together – not Side by Side
If European states are to make good on their promises to protect their interests and their continent, they will need to stand side by side, but invest together, write a group of scientific advisers to the Armament Industry European Research Group (ARES). Euractiv, 2022 Read more
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Digitalization and Hybrid Threats: Assessing the Vulnerabilities for European Security
From artificial intelligence to quantum computing, emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) may be part of the next revolution in military affairs – but it is not clear how EDTs will shape the future of conflict or strategies aimed at countering hybrid threats. This Hybrid CoE Paper seeks to uncover what…
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EU Civil-Defence Synergies: Understanding the Challenges and Drivers of Change
This paper looks at the European Union’s approach to promoting civil and defence synergies. More specifically, it focuses on the strategies and policies developed by the European Commission to help stimulate the cross-fertilisation of civil and defence research. A core part of the analysis is to show the evolution of…
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The Day After: the EU’s Strategic Compass and the Protection of Europe
The EU has spent the best part of 20 months working on its ‘Strategic Compass’ for security and defence, yet the war in Ukraine and the threat environment around Europe pose serious questions. If the Compass is to move from just another EU document to credible action, EU member states…
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A Clash of Concepts?Making Sense of ‘European Sovereignty’ and ‘Strategic Autonomy’
Strategic autonomy has become the buzzword of the European policy scene in recent years, with a slew of reports and policy proposals dedicated to the subject, and high-level support among European leaders. But big questions remain about what the concept actually means and what its implications are for Europe and…
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The Failure of the EU’s Mediterranean Policies
Abstract ‘Thank you. This is Miranda Marluppi from Euro Diretta. At the start of the decade the Commission used its “EU Beach Clean-Up” initiative to sell us idyllic pictures of the Med- iterranean Sea, but today — in 2027 — the “Med is Dead”. What is the EU doing to save…
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Der Weg zu einem souveränen Europa
Vor mehr als vier Jahren hielt der französische Präsident Emmanuel Macron an der Pariser Sorbonne eine Rede mit dem Titel „Initiative für Europa“. Sie führte das Konzept der europäischen Souveränität ein – damals noch ein kühner Vorschlag, heute eine weit verbreitete Vorstellung. 2020 nannte EU-Ratspräsident Charles Michel das Erreichen echter…
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Strategic Compass: New Bearings for EU Security and Defence?
Abstract Over the past twenty years the European Union has enhanced its role as a security and defence actor. However, in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment, the Union faces new threats and security challenges and this calls for a unified, robust and far-reaching approach from the bloc and its Member…
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Promoting Technological Sovereignty and Innovation: Emerging and Disruptive Technologies
Emerging and disruptive technologies (EDT) transcend the four-basket logic of the EU Strategic Compass as they touch on aspects of all issue areas. To break down this complex topic, the workshop was based on two input papers that focused on aspects of sovereignty and innovation. While the discussion cannot and…
Daniel Fiott 