On Tuesday 19 November, the EU Council called for permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) to be updated “to reflect relevant existing and upcoming Union instruments and policies, in particular those stemming from the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence”, so that it remains at the centre of defence efforts.
In the conclusions they adopted, the ministers consider that permanent structured cooperation “should be underpinned by commitments that are more strategic and political, concrete and streamlined, and limited in number”.
They therefore want the list of 20 binding PESCO commitments to be updated and streamlined and for the revised commitments to cover key areas such as defence spending and investment, capability development, armament and industrial cooperation, and the operational dimension. The commitments must also make a greater contribution to strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB).
These commitments will also have to include clear, measurable targets to improve implementation and transparency, thereby ultimately contributing to greater visibility and political ownership.
The EU Council also wants PESCO to be better linked to EU defence funding initiatives and instruments, such as the European Defence Fund and the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP).
PESCO projects should focus on resolving key capability shortfalls and making the most of collaborative opportunities identified in the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the EU Council added.
Finally, the EU Council believes that PESCO should contribute to efforts aimed at meeting Ukraine’s military needs and that Ukraine’s participation in projects should be facilitated.
The EU Council asks the High Representative to propose appropriate changes to PESCO’s legal framework by May 2025. The new phase of permanent structured cooperation will begin in 2026.
In addition, the ministers adopted a recommendation assessing the progress made by the 26 participating Member States in meeting the more binding commitments made under the PESCO framework.
See the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/eeo (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)