EU Defence [What Think Tanks are Thinking]

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

Europe’s increasingly unstable neighbourhood, Britain’s plans to leave the European Union and a search for potentially successful areas of cooperation amid several crises have all renewed momentum for increased EU defence cooperation. Plans for stronger military ties among EU Member States, already envisaged in the recent EU Global Strategy, have received a boost, according to some analysts, from the election of Donald Trump as US President, with an unclear security agenda.

This note offers links to commentaries, studies and reports by major international think tanks, on prospects of increased defence cooperation in the EU and on the general security situation on the continent.  More papers on threats to security in Europe from Russia’s policies can be found in an October edition of ‘What Think Tanks are thinking’. Some more studies on the EU Global Strategy are available on another item from the series.

Another perfect storm for European defence: But can the Union really make strength?
European Policy Centre, November 2016

Europe’s security: Winter is coming
European Leadership Network, November 2016

New momentum for European defence cooperation
Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, November 2016

Uncertain reform call meets structural rigidities: The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy in 2016
Egmont, November 2016

EU strategy and European defence: What level of ambition?
Clingendael, November 2016

European defence core groups: The why, what and how of permanent structured cooperation
Egmont, November 2016

European defence core groups
Clingendael, November 2016

EU defence research in development
European Union Institute for Security Studies, November 2016

Don’t assume CSDP will flourish without the UK
European Leadership Network, November 2016

Civilian CSDP: What next?
European Union Institute for Security Studies, November 2016

Can the EU help prevent further conflict in Iraq and Syria?
Centre for European Policy Studies, November 2016

Trump, NATO and European defence spending
Bruegel, November 2016

After the EU Global Strategy: Security and defence
European Union Institute for Security Studies, November 2016

Can Europe defend itself?
Carnegie Europe, November 2016

Can governance Trump guns? European security after the US elections
European Council on Foreign Relations, November 2016

Does ‘America First’ mean EU defence at last?
Centre for European Reform, November 2016

All or nothing? The EU Global Strategy and defence policy after the Brexit
Egmont, October 2016

More Union in European defence
Centre for European Policy Studies, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, October 2016

The bumpy road from Bratislava to Rome: The results of a (un)spectacular summit
European Policy Centre, October 2016

To insure again the defence of Europe: Draft treaty for the defence and security of Europe
Fondation Robert Schuman, October 2016

Perspectives on security and strategic stability: a track 2 dialogue with the Baltic States and Poland
Center for Strategic and International Studies, October 2016

Defence cooperation models: Lessons learned and usability
Clingendael, October 2016

The EU Global Strategy and Defence: The challenge of thinking strategically about means
Egmont, October 2016

The EU Special Representatives: A dwindling but resilient resource at the service of EU Foreign and Security Policy
Centre for European Policy Studies, September 2016

Spearheading European defence. Employing the Lisbon Treaty for a stronger CSDP
Clingendael, September 2016

NATO must work harder to debunk Russia’s claims of provocation
Chatham House, September 2016

Defence budgets and cooperation in Europe: Trends and investments
Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques, Istituto Affari Internazionali, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Polish Institute of International Affairs, Hellenic Foundation for European Foreign Policy, Swedish Defence Research Agency, July 2016

Looking east: European air and missile defense after Warsaw
Center for Strategic and International Studies, July 2016