PESCO (European defense Union)

2017: Signing of the pact on defense of PESCO

On November 13, 2017 the European Union officially opened the new era of cooperation in the field of defense assuming program implementation of the joint investments in the military equipment, research and development known as "The permanent structured cooperation" (PESCO).

Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence of 23 EU countries signed the pact on defense aimed at gain of cooperation in the block in Brussels.

Great Britain which should leave the EU in 2019 is not a part of PESCO.

To Brexit London opposed the idea of the European defense Union, stating that it will destroy the union of NATO and Great Britain with the USA. Denmark will not take part in it. Ireland, Portugal and Malta still were not defined, they will begin to join or not.

The document will find legal force after it is approved by leaders of the block at the EU summit in the middle of December, 2017.

It is fluidised that from this point the EU will play more approved role in the solution of the international crises, at the same time reducing dependence on the USA.

It is the first time when EU Member States implement the similar joint project which is legally binding and also undertake to increase a defense expenditure. Member countries will submit the action plan, having stated the purposes on development of the sphere of defense.

The High Representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy in Juncker's commission Federica Mogherini, military heads of the EU and the European defense agency will monitor whether the drawn-up approved plans are observed. Those who will not fulfill the obligations can be excluded from group.

PESCO is urged to reduce quantity of the different systems of arms in Europe and to promote regional military integration. It is also intended for joint training of military officers. Joint development of military capacity of the EU will allow the block to perform operations separately or together with NATO.

Federica Mogherini called the transaction "the historical moment in the defense system of Europe". According to her, PESCO serves as addition to NATO in which 22 of 28 EU countries consist. She considers that the EU has tools for fight against hybrid war - use of conventional weapons along with promotion and cyber attacks – no what the military alliance has at the order. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Sigmar Gabriel spoke this agreement as about "a great step at way to self-sufficiency and strengthening of security policy and defense of the European Union" that is an important milestone in development of Europe.

Within PESCO of EU country undertake to increase military expenses: the European defense fund of 5 million euros for purchase of weapon, special fund for financing of transactions and fund of means from the general budget of the EU for carrying out researches in the field of defense will be created.

More than 50 joint projects in development of defense potential and the military operations are already submitted. Great Britain and other states which did not begin to take part in PESCO can participate in a number of transactions if it brings benefit to all EU.

The European Commission proposed on November 10, 2017 a number of measures for assistance to development of defense potential and upgrade of the necessary equipment between member states. These steps will be approved with the purposes set by the strategic document of the EU under the name "Global Strategy of the European Union" within which the block should be guided by big military autonomy from NATO.

Independent military capacity of the EU will weaken NATO and will put an end to dependence of Europe on the USA. For Sweden and Finland, the members of the EU which are not consisting in NATO, the union in the EU can be more preferable, than with NATO. Eventually, the European states got mixed up in the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan because of solidarity with the USA, but not because the interests of the European countries were touched. Only these two examples are enough to give preference to the European, but not transatlantic interests in the field of security. Quite often these interests do not match.

The USA considers crisis of migrants in Europe a problem which does not influence their direct interests. They have other priorities, such as control of China and counteraction to Iran, country where the European enterprises have the large economic interests. Many ordinary Americans doubt need to pay for European "freeloaders".

They are firmly convinced that Europeans should make much more for increase in own security. Naturally, the EU, a strong international subject in which 28 members consist, of which more than 20% of world GDP are the share, aims to have an opportunity to perform the independent military operations.

The idea of development of independent European defense potential has the pluses and minuses, but one thing is indisputable – European forces, but not national armies operating under the auspices of NATO can really protect the European interests^[1].

See Also

• European Union
• European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA)
• Government Communications Headquarters

Notes