Policy Paper 64

Quelle place pour la PSDC dans la politique étrangère de l’UE ?

Nick Witney, Chercheur Senior, European Council of Foreign Relations (ECFR) —
The Lisbon Treaty describes CSDP as ‘integral’ to Europe’s foreign policy. Yet European leaders’ actions belie any such belief. The EU has gone ‘missing in action’ in north Africa: ‘pooling and sharing’ is discussed but not practised. Governments aborted the EADS/BAES merger, for narrow national reasons.

This lack of seriousness about defence stems from intervention fatigue, and the absence of any direct military threat. But the hegemony of the West is finished; the US is pivoting to Asia; and Europe is being rapidly marginalised. It needs to exploit all its assets, including its armed forces, to continue to count in the world.

The missing understanding is how the military can be used as a tool of statecraft. Europe’s ability to offer assistance and training, intelligence and arms, should be a key conduit of influence – for example, with the new democracies of north Africa.

Europeans need to re-think the global strategic environment, and how their armed forces can support foreign policy. The European Council should commission a European Defence Review, to produce both a strategic re-assessment and proposals for major integrative projects.

Disponible en anglais uniquement
 

Ce Policy Paper est une contribution de Nick Witney (ECFR) au projet Think Global – Act European (TGAE). Thinking Strategically about the EU’s external action dirigé par Notre Europe – Institut Jacques Delors (rapport disponible en mars 2013, dir. Elvire Fabry, Chercheur Senior, Notre Europe – Institut Jacques Delors).

 

 

The Lisbon Treaty describes CSDP as ‘integral’ to Europe’s foreign policy. Yet European leaders’ actions belie any such belief. The EU has gone ‘missing in action’ in north Africa: ‘pooling and sharing’ is discussed but not practised. Governments aborted the EADS/BAES merger, for narrow national reasons.

 

 

This lack of seriousness about defence stems from intervention fatigue, and the absence of any direct military threat. But the hegemony of the West is finished; the US is pivoting to Asia; and Europe is being rapidly marginalised. It needs to exploit all its assets, including its armed forces, to continue to count in the world.

The missing understanding is how the military can be used as a tool of statecraft. Europe’s ability to offer assistance and training, intelligence and arms, should be a key conduit of influence – for example, with the new democracies of north Africa.

 

Europeans need to re-think the global strategic environment, and how their armed forces can support foreign policy. The European Council should commission a European Defence Review, to produce both a strategic re-assessment and proposals for major integrative projects.

 

 

 

Avant la publication du rapport final présentant les recommandations clés des 16 think tanks mobilisés dans ce projet, 5 séries de Policy Papers portent sur les sujets suivants : PSDC, Voisinage de l’UE, Ressources stratégiques, Migrations et Politiques économiques.

 

Ce Policy Paper fait partie de la série intitulée « Comment les Européens peuvent-ils rester crédibles avec des capacités de défense réduites ? », qui comprend les contributions de Jean-Pierre Darnis (IAI, Rome), Ronja Kempin (SWP, Berlin), Daniel Keohane (Fride, Bruxelles) et Jan Techau (Carnegie Europe, Bruxelles).

 
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