On Tuesday, 14 May, Defence Ministers urged further progress in the implementation of the permanent structured cooperation (PESCO), established in December 2017 (see EUROPE 11923/2) and involving 25 Member States.
While the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, told the press that the implementation of the PESCO was "swift and good", the Council of the EU, in a recommendation it adopted after discussing the first full year of implementation of cooperation, called for further efforts.
The Council of the EU therefore calls for continued and increased efforts on defence budgets and joint defence investment. Aggregate defence budgets increased by 3.3% in 2018 and 4.6% in 2019.
It notes that it is positive that the States participating in the PESCO are increasingly using EU tools, initiatives and instruments for national defence planning, but considers that efforts should be intensified in order to promote the fulfilment of the most binding commitments.
The Council of the EU therefore invites the participants to continue to make progress in fulfilling the most binding commitments related to the approximation of their respective defence systems, in particular to strengthen collaborative capability development.
Participating States are also encouraged to continue efforts to enhance the interoperability and flexibility of their forces, but also their availability and ability to deploy quickly and to strive for an ambitious approach to the joint financing of CSDP military operations and missions. Significant progress must be made to address the capability gaps identified in the Capability Development Plan (CDP), the ministers add.
According to the recommendation, the next national implementation plans should be updated and submitted by 10 January 2020 at the latest.
The recommendation also refers to the 34 projects developed within the framework of the PESCO. Participating Member States are "encouraged to take the work forward and to focus their attention on the rapid and effective implementation of the projects in which they participate in order to achieve tangible results and achievements".
They must also respond in particular to all EU capability development priorities, develop projects to build on cooperation between existing military capabilities and make these capabilities available to missions and operations.
In order to ensure greater coherence and synchronisation of European defence initiatives and to "focus on better supported projects", the next call for projects should be launched in 2021, according to the Council of the EU. "Based on new lessons learned, participating Member States will then consider the possibility of moving to a biennial process", the document adds.
Speaking to the press, Ms Mogherini also recalled that no agreement had yet been reached on the participation of non-Member States in PESCO projects, hoping for a decision by the Council of the EU on 17 June.
See the recommendation: https://bit.ly/2YuhGGO. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)