ABSTRACT: Det europæiske forsvar efter Nice

POLITOLOGISKE STUDIER - ÅRG. 4 NR. 1  - APRÈS NICE -MARTS 2001

Af Sten Rynning
This article analyzes the defense dimension of the European Union, the achievements of the December 2000 Nice summit, and the possibility that the EU will emerge as a security actor. The analysis proceeds from an examination of military capabilities and strategic self-understanding to suggest that Nice, rich in discussions of organization, has not provided answers to pressing political questions. These include, notably, the level of defense spending required to achieve ‘autonomy’, the introduction of enhanced cooperation in the domain of defense policy, and the articulation of a distinct EU defense policy. Given the challenges of significantly enlarging the EU and remaining linked to NATO, the future EU defense dimension will likely involve a hard core of large Western European states who will become the privileged interlocutors of the US but whose freedom of action will be constrained by EU consensus building.