On Monday 19 November, the European Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence agreed on the development of 17 new projects in the framework of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). 33 projects had been proposed for this second selection cycle.
The new projects cover areas such as training, capacity development and operational readiness on land, at sea and in the air, as well as cyber defence.
Projects include the development of European Type 3 TIGRE attack helicopters, an Joint EU Intelligence School, a drone system, helicopter flight training in hot and high conditions, a Deployable Modular Underwater Intervention Capability Package (DIVEPACK), a deployable Special Operations Forces (SOF) Tactical Command and Control Command Post for Small Joint Operations and a European Military Space Surveillance Awareness Network.
These 17 new projects are in addition to the 17 already approved, which, according to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, are ‘being implemented at a satisfactory pace’.
In its conclusions, the Council invites the PESCO secretariat, by spring 2019, before the next call for proposals for cooperation projects, to submit a report on the first lessons learned.
On the other hand, despite the objectives set in the spring, ministers did not agree on the participation of third countries in permanent structured cooperation. While, according to Ms Mogherini, the States participating in the PESCO agreed that agreement should be reached on the ‘exceptional’ participation of third countries, divisions persist. The High Representative stated that it was necessary to “find the right balance by leaving open the possibility of a participation of a third country, when this brings added value, without however losing the specificity of what the PESCO is”. It hoped for a decision on the subject before the European Council on 13-14 December.
The complete list of new projects is available at: https://bit.ly/2qU0vjb. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)