Closing Ranks, What Future for European Defence? Monday, November 21, 2005 Bibliothèque Solvay, Brussels Click Here to access the summary of debates
“It’s a vicious circle. The EU must deliver but that means changing the structure. The rhythm of the EU is too slow. We can’t work on the basis of monthly meetings.” Javier Solana
Although the EU is struggling to define a new political agenda in the wake of the “No’s” to the Constitution, Europe is nonetheless making progress in its efforts to improve and increase its defence capabilities. In less than a decade, the idea of a European defence identity has moved from an embryonic project to a military reality, with autonomous military operations successfully carried out in the Balkans and Africa. New initiatives like the EU’s “battlegroups” and the European Defence Agency have reinforced its military commitment. Looking back at the past decade, what aspects of ESDP should we most celebrate, what is the outlook for the next 10 years? And given the fast-changing global security context, what challenges should Europe’s defence planners be preparing to meet?