The EU budget for 2021-2027 for the first time includes a security and defence section. Although this signals an increased willingness to commit to joint EU defence initiatives, the potential of the budget remains limited (for now).
Continue reading
The current drafts for the next EU budget radically cut back funding for the European Defence Fund and military mobility. This threatens both the European Union’s ability to act globally as well as its credibility. Continue reading
Liberal defence experts gathered in Brussels on May 24 and 25 for a two-day exchange on the “Future of European Security”. 19 participants from 11 countries convened at what was the third edition of a regular conference initiated last year by the European Liberal Forum (ELF) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF).
Among the main targets of European defence initiatives is the fragmentation and inefficiency of the European defence market. European Union member states currently procure 80% of their defence equipment nationally. According to a European Commission estimate, this leads to a loss of around 50 billion € in opportunity costs per year. Fostering a more collaborative defence market will be a key if policy makers in Europe wish for more capable and interoperable armed forces.
Date: 12-13 October 2016
Venue: Hotel Leopold, Rue du Luxembourg, 35-1050 Brussels
ABOUT THE EVENT
At the juncture of an ongoing conflict in Syria, porous borders on Europe’s outer fringe and continued instability in Ukraine, Europe is more unstable than ever since the end of the Cold War.
The British June Referendum to exit the European Union adds fuel to the fire of uncertainty, especially when it comes to European defence cooperation and the EU defence component. Wedged between these ongoing challenges, NATO sceptics on either side of the Atlantic are running or will be running for elections in important allied countries such as the United States and later in Germany and France. Continue reading
