Croatia announced in its work programme for its Presidency of the EU Council that it wants to promote strategic discussions on the further development of the EU in the field of security and defence.
A “substantial and credible” European defence cooperation, “with full respect for the autonomy, ownership and decision-making processes” of the various member states, is another priority. Croatia states that it will focus on the implementation, consolidation and coherence of existing or proposed initiatives: the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), military mobility and the European Defence Fund (EDF), on which Zagreb is hoping for an agreement (see EUROPE 12387/1).
The Presidency will also work on aligning these European initiatives with the defence planning processes of the Member States. It will also support the strengthening of the competitiveness of the defence industry with the aim of reducing existing shortfalls in European defence capabilities. Emphasis will be placed on strengthening SMEs and defence research capacities in order to achieve a balanced development of the European defence industry.
Deepening the civilian dimension of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) will be another priority.
The Croatian Presidency will also “strongly” support “close, fruitful and complementary” cooperation between the EU and NATO, with a focus on military mobility and hybrid threats and on supporting partners in building capabilities and resilience, particularly in South-Eastern Europe.
The development of partnership and cooperation with other actors, partners and third countries “which play a crucial role in maintaining and building the European security architecture” will be at the forefront. The same will be true for “projecting stability, strengthening the response to conflicts and external crises and the capacities of our partners, and protecting and securing the Union and its citizens”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)