Betrayed by the British and kicked in the butt by the Donald Trump-led United States, Europe is seeking newer ways of securing themselves. Indeed, the NATO will be there, but with Trump telling Europeans that they ought to spend more for their defence, Europe is seeking newer ways of securing itself.
The European Commission has launched a defence fund to get the best bang out of their euros. Announced by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in September 2016, backed by the European Council in December 2016, and launched last Wednesday, the European Defence Fund “will coordinate, supplement and amplify national investments in defence research, in the development of prototypes and in the acquisition of defence equipment and technology.”
There are 178 different weapon systems in the EU, compared to 30 in the US. There are 17 types of main battle tanks in the EU and only one in the US.
The commission has also launched a white paper on the future of European defence for public debate. That debate should also decide the future of NATO, the present defence arrangement which relies heavily on US security guarantees. Indeed, there is still no rethink over NATO, but the dynamics of security ties within NATO could change. Said Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen: "In today's world, a strong NATO and a strong EU are more important than they ever have been before. Without duplicating what already exists, Europe needs to take its security and defence into its own hands in order to be a stronger partner to our allies."
EU leaders will meet in Prague on July 9 to discuss how to use the current treaties for stepping up cooperation in defence. The Commission has proposed three scenarios. Under a "Security and Defence Cooperation" scenario, member-states will decide on their security needs and defence cooperation on a voluntary, case-by-case basis, with the Union complementing the national efforts in a limited way. The new fund will help develop joint capabilities, but member-states will oversee the development of military capabilities and procurement on their own.
Under a "Shared Security and Defence" scenario, member-states will pool together certain financial and operational assets, with the EU being more engaged in Europe's collective protection in areas like cyber, border protection or the fight against terrorism. The EU and NATO would also increase mutual cooperation.
The most ambitious "Common Defence and Security" scenario foresees the progressive framing of a common Union defence policy, leading to common defence. Under this scenario, protecting Europe would become a mutually reinforcing responsibility of the EU and NATO. The EU would support joint defence programmes with the European Defence Fund, as well as set up a dedicated European Defence Research Agency.
The EU already has the means to get militarily integrated further. Article 42(6) of the Treaty on European Union provides for member-states to take common defence to the next level. In his 2016 State of the Union Address, Juncker had said, "I think the time to make use of this possibility is now."
