The Swedish Presidency of the EU Council, which runs from 1 January to 30 June, aims to contribute to strengthening the EU’s role as a security actor “both in its neighbourhood and globally, with the implementation of the ‘Strategic Compass’ playing a key role”.
According to its programme, the Presidency specifies that it will strive to implement the defence-related sections of the ‘Strategic Compass’.
Stockholm intends to contribute to the development of the EU’s bilateral, multilateral and regional partnerships in security and defence policy, stressing the importance of enhanced cooperation and dialogue with strategic partners and making the promotion of EU-NATO cooperation a particular priority. Sweden is on its way to joining the Atlantic Alliance.
Under the Swedish Presidency, discussions on the development of EU military operations and the use of the European Peace Facility will continue. Similarly, the country intends to advance negotiations on a short-term instrument to strengthen the European defence industry through joint public procurement, EDIRPA. The Presidency is ready to start negotiations on a future long-term European defence investment programme, the programme adds.
Sweden explains that it will continue to show leadership in civilian crisis management and will work towards a new civilian pact for the Common Security and Defence Policy, planned for mid-May 2023, and improved collaboration between the EU’s internal and external crisis management formats.
The Presidency will continue to work on the implementation and development of the EU’s response to cyber threats and will try to better integrate cyber diplomacy issues and the EU’s external digital policy into its foreign policy.
In addition, Stockholm intends to support the EU’s efforts to build resilience to different types of threats and risks, both in digital and physical infrastructure, and wants to encourage work on a space strategy for security and defence.
See the Presidency’s programme: https://aeur.eu/f/4p5 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)