EU defence deal to bring states’ forces into step

▶ Focus will be on defending against Russian aggression

Europe vowed to turn a new page on security co-operation yesterday as 23 states came together to sign a mutual defence pact designed to transform the bloc’s military operations.

With a focus on reacting to and defending against Russian aggression, the new arrangement effectively gives Brussels a formal role in the overall strategic defences across the continent.

The adoption of the permanent structured co-operation on defence agreement (Pesco) comes as the British negotiate their exit from the EU, removing London’s opposition to structures that rivalled Nato.

Germany and France have backed plans to reboot EU defence operations, including an announcement in June of a €5.5 billion (Dh23.55bn) European defence fund.

By working together on projects, nations hope to use their combined spending power to overcome capability gaps, jointly buying equipment such as air transporters or drones.

“Today we will launch a new page for European defence,” said Frederica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign and defence policy representative. “The real problem is not how much we spend, it is the fact that we spend in a fragmented manner.”

Only five member nations failed to sign up to the process. Denmark has a defence opt-out from EU treaties while Portugal, Ireland and Malta have not made a formal decision to join.

Defence experts said the success of the new project would be clear only when Paris and Berlin resolved their competing visions for European-wide military co-operation.

France was initially keen for a smaller group of nations that would more readily commit to possible foreign interventions such as in Libya or Mali.

Germany wanted as many countries as possible to sign up, but wants to keep the focus on more modest schemes.

Frederic Mauro, a defence expert who advises the European parliament, said he was “deeply sceptical” about the final form of the pact, describing it as “light years” away from the concept of defence co-operation foreseen in EU treaties.

“The Germans say respect unity and proceed modestly at the start with all these little projects – they won’t help the EU’s independent capacity,” Mr Mauro said.

“It has no chance of working.” Ministers attending the signing ceremony made clear that while the arrangement would not replace Nato, it was a product of concern over America’s shifting foreign policy.

US president Donald Trump berated European partners on military spending at a Nato summit in May.

“It was important for us, especially after the election of the American president, that we can organise ourselves independently as Europeans,” said German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen.

Mrs Mogherini said the move would not only complement Nato’s security aims but fill in gaps in the Atlantic alliance.

The EU, she said, had tools to fight hybrid warfare – the use of conventional weapons mixed with modern threats such as cyber attacks – that the US-led military alliance did not have at its disposal.

Ultimately Pesco could be overseen by a European operational headquarters.

The agreement commits countries to “regularly increasing defence budgets in real terms” as well as devoting 20 per cent of defence spending to procurement and 2 per cent on research and technology.