Read more about the article The role of PMSCs in the EU’s Security and Defence Policy: a temporary complementary tool
Research Report

The role of PMSCs in the EU’s Security and Defence Policy: a temporary complementary tool

The following paper will examine the European Union’s reliance on Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs). By analysing regulatory frameworks, parliamentary initiatives, and case studies, namely Operation Atalanta and EULEX Kosovo, it highlights both the operational benefits and the political, legal, and ethical challenges of outsourcing security functions. The paper will show that PMSCs can provide rapid deployment, specialised expertise, and logistical support, but cannot replace core military tasks reserved to States. Gaps in regulation, accountability, and oversight risk undermining parliamentary and democratic control together with the EU’s credibility. The paper concludes that PMSCs should remain a complementary tool within EU security and defence policy, integrated through common standards, and binding and common legislation.

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1 October 2025
Read more about the article From Stabilisation to Securitisation: The EU in Libya
Research Report

From Stabilisation to Securitisation: The EU in Libya

Following the 2011 NATO intervention, Libya suffered increased instability with shifts in governance and a lack of central power. Following this, in 2013, the European Union (EU) launched missions in the country through its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), aimed at supporting border management. However, questions were raised regarding the EU’s intentions as stabilising Libya became a vital security issue due to the country becoming a departure point for irregular migration. This Info Flash examines how securitisation shaped the EU’s crisis management in Libya to offer broader lessons about the Union’s limitations in responding to crises. Within the Libya case study and using securitisation as a conceptual framework, the research finds that a change in rhetoric within the CSDP’s missions, a gap between objectives and implementation, and persistent divisions within the Union carry broader lessons for the Union. Indeed, these weaknesses have ultimately shown that the EU tends to focus on short-term priorities rather than long-term stabilisation, becomes stuck in political entrapment that perpetuates missions, and experiences fragmentation within its member states that weakens its credibility.

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24 September 2025
Read more about the article European Union military engagement in the Western Balkans: peacekeeping or strategic containment? EU’s mission EUFOR Althea case study
Info Flash

European Union military engagement in the Western Balkans: peacekeeping or strategic containment? EU’s mission EUFOR Althea case study

The European Union’s military involvement in the Western Balkans, particularly through European Union Force (EUFOR) Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is grounded in a multilayered legal framework that draws on EU treaties, international law, and regional peace agreements. Established under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and authorized by UN Security Council Resolution 1575 (2004), Althea represents a rare example of EU-led military deployment with a UN mandate. It is the largest mission launched by the European Union to this day. While the mission plays an important role in supporting public security and implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement, it also reveals the EU’s limited legal and institutional capacity to address structural issues like constitutional dysfunction, ethno-nationalism, and secessionist threats. The reliance on soft power and minimal military presence reflects the EU’s constrained ability to enforce durable peace, while the continued necessity of EUFOR underscores both the fragility of the region’s stability and the limitations of existing legal instruments in securing long-term constitutional cohesion.

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20 May 2025
Read more about the article Restructuring the European Defence Industry: Consolidation and Internationalisation
Info Flash

Restructuring the European Defence Industry: Consolidation and Internationalisation

Defence constitutes a rather atypical industrial sector. Due to the sensitive nature of its products, it has long been strictly protected by states and ‘placed outside the bounds of free-market economy’. Countries with a relevant industrial base have traditionally sought self-sufficiency in arms production for national security. States’ control over their domestic industry has frequently slowed or even hindered attempts at cross-border European cooperation. This has ultimately resulted in a significant fragmentation of the European defence industry. 

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26 September 2023