Read more about the article EU in Talks to Develop First Entry Force
Belgian soldier during Rampant Lion, EU Battlegroup 2014 II exercise in Grafenwoehr, Germany, Markus Rauchenberger, February 26, 2014 (Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Belgian_soldier_during_Rampant_Lion,_EU_Battlegroup_2014_II_exercise_in_Grafenwoehr,_Germany.jpg)

EU in Talks to Develop First Entry Force

This year, the EU has faced many unforeseeable threats which have caused member states to reinforce their defence and security policies as well as the EU’s own defence systems. In turn, fourteen countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain) have joined together to propose a rapid military response team called First Entry Force. This proposal has been debated in the first in-person meeting of the year, by EU defence ministers (“EU moots creation”, 2021). Notably, the military response force would aid in de-escalating or preventing conflict in foreign democratic nations. The military team would also aid in tackling the EU’s gap of capabilities in early action. Indeed, the European Union Global Strategy has claimed that early warning holds no advantage if there is no early action (Shared vision, common action, 2017).

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EU`s Strategic Compass for Security and Defence: A New Approach in 2021

On 16 June 2020, the EU Defence Ministers embarked to develop a strategic compass for security and defence. On 6 May 2021, the EU Council Ministers held another meeting, part of a series since 2020, negotiating the format of the legal-political agreement expected to be issued at the end of 2022. The Strategic Compass is seen as one of the most ambitious plans to unify the EU response in Security and Defence. The present analysis aims to briefly describe its novelty, lay down the spirit surrounding such initiative, and identify the challenges ahead. By the end, a few recommendations for boosting the EU action in defence will be provided, such as dormant provisions of the EU Treaties that have not or to a little extent been used but can prove to be imperative. 

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Read more about the article Belgium and Sweden: The New Members to Join the PESCO Project “ESSOR” (European Secured Software Defined Radio)?
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Belgium and Sweden: The New Members to Join the PESCO Project “ESSOR” (European Secured Software Defined Radio)?

The European Secure Software Defined Radio (ESSOR) is a PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) project. PESCO was established in 2017 to deepen defence cooperation among the Member States of the European Union. (Art. 46.2, Lisbon Treaty)Its aim is “to jointly arrive at a coherent full spectrum of defence capabilities available to Member States for national and multinational missions and operations”. Since its establishment, PESCO has been undertaking new projects, and on 6 March 2018, a list of 17 projects was adopted by the Council, then a second list of another 17 projects was adopted on 20 November 2018, and finally, a third batch was adopted on 12 November 2019.

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Read more about the article Weapons’ Progress: From New Technologies to Augmented Soldiers
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Weapons’ Progress: From New Technologies to Augmented Soldiers

Modernisation of military equipment is vital to improve armies’ performances and capabilities; it makes soldiers more efficient, increasing the chances of having a successful mission with fewer casualties. Even though modernisation requires huge investments, it aims at reducing the operations’ future costs and mission-related risks notably associated with service members’ safety and protection.

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