On Monday 6 February, the EU Council approved a draft administrative arrangement between the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the US Department of Defense for signature.
The purpose of the agreement is to provide a framework for exchanging information and exploring possibilities for cooperation between the two organisations.
According to an EU Council statement, the administrative arrangement will allow for a substantive defence dialogue on all matters within the Agency’s remit. The US Department of Defense will be invited to participate in the EDA Steering Board meetings that concern it and vice versa.
In addition, consultations will be held on the registration of chemical substances, military mobility, supply chain issues and the impact of climate change on defence. Cooperation also includes participation in the open sessions of the European Committee for Standardization in defence.
While the scope of cooperation could be extended in the future, the current agreement does not cover activities in the areas of capacity building and research and technology.
The arrangement shall take effect on the date of its signature by the parties. When questioned by EUROPE, the US mission to the EU had not yet replied, at the time of writing, on the timetable for the approval process of the agreement on the US side. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)