On Wednesday 23 November, the members of the European Parliament stressed the need for a major and in-depth revision of the common security and defence policy (CSDP). They argue that such a revision would allow the EU and its member states to make a decisive contribution to the security of the Union and the management of international crises, and to affirm the strategic autonomy of the EU.
In their adoption (386 votes in favour, 237 against and 74 abstentions) of the report by Ioan Mircea Pascu (S&D, Romania) on the implementation of the CSDP, the MEPs call upon the Council to set in place a half-yearly debate on defence in order to formulate strategic orientations and to give political impetus to the CSDP and European defence cooperation. The MEPs even go as far as to urge the European Council to commit to converting the common security and defence policy into a common defence.
According to the MEPs, the CSDP should be based on a strong principle of collective defence and efficient financing. The EU should be capable of intervening, for instance through CSDP missions and observations, at all stages of the crisis management process, covering all stages of the cycle of a conflict and of making a full contribution to ensuring the security of Europe, they continue. All decisions of the Council on future missions and operations should give priority to engagements in conflicts which directly affect the security of the Union, they add.
Parliament goes on to stress that establishing permanent structured cooperation would make it possible to develop stand-alone defence, or a permanent stand-alone defence structure capable of reinforcing crisis management operations. They also reiterate the importance of creating a permanent European staff for the civil and military missions and operations of the CSDP.
The MEPs also take the view that the development of the defence industry would reinforce the strategic autonomy and technological independence of the EU. They believe that this strategic autonomy should consolidate the partnership with NATO as well as transatlantic relations. Close and efficient cooperation between the EU and NATO is based on the complementary nature and compatibility of their missions and, consequently, on the range of instruments available to them, they also stress. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Élodie Lamer)