The European Union is already delivering concretely on the very ambitious security and defence work, but is also looking beyond the current implementation of decisions, with a new reflection paper looking at future developments for European defence, stressed High Representative Federica Mogherini on the 7th of June 2017 at the presentation of this new document of the European Commission that is also accompanied with a proposal for setting up European Defence Fund.

“Today, the message we are passing is double, I would say. On one side, we are delivering concretely on the very ambitious decisions that we took already at 28 last autumn and we are also looking beyond the current implementation of decisions, with the reflection paper looking at the future developments that we are ready to support if the Member States decide to go further, having for the first time probably the [European] Commission clearly playing its full role in support of the ambition of the European defence,” Mogherini said.

The reflection paper builds on the Commission’s White Paper on the Future of Europe published in March and feeds into the ongoing public debate on this topic. The reflection paper puts forward three progressively ambitious scenarios for enhanced defence cooperation, for discussion by the member states. The scenarios range from voluntary cooperation between member states on a case-by-case basis, complemented by limited EU joint initiatives, to the establishment of a common defence policy underpinned by a greater level of integration of national defence forces, substantially enhanced coordination between the EU and NATO and a genuine European defence market.