EU Defence Declassified, brought to you by the European Defence Agency (EDA), delves into the world of European defence and discusses one of the most pressing challenges for the EU: how to better protect its citizens, defend its values and safeguard its interests.
In conversations with our experts and invitees, EDA’s communications team helps to analyse today’s most pressing defence issues, whether they be niche industrial topics or the historical sweep of EU defence integration.
S01 – Ep.1: Why do we need EU defence?
Polls show citizens expect the EU to protect them. We've witnessed Russia's senseless invasion of Ukraine, but we already have national militaries and NATO. In this first episode, we discuss with Jiří Šedivý, EDA’s Chief Executive, why we need EU defence cooperation and why the EU should have the capacity to act.
S01 – Ep.2: Towards an EU defence industry
After years of declines in defence spending, it's safe to say there's a new political will to reinforce the European defence industry. In this second episode, we discuss with Pieter Taal, EDA’s Head of Unit for Industry Strategy & EU Policies, whether the European defence industry is in good shape, if there is enough cooperation between countries and industry, and whether there can ever be a pan-European defence industry.
S01 – Ep.3: The transatlantic bond
EU leaders have pledged to protect EU citizens and their values. But we've also seen that Russia's war in Ukraine has given NATO a sense of renewal and it is in fact NATO that many European governments have gravitated towards. In this third episode, we discuss with Maxime Roclore, EDA Senior Policy Officer, where the European Union fits into the puzzle of collective defence and what exactly it means to broaden and deepen cooperation between NATO and the EU.
S01 – Ep.4: Green defence
Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time and also for the defence and security sectors. We know that militaries are a heavy polluter and they are even defined by some as significant contributors to climate change. In this final episode of the series, we ask Maja Kuzel, EDA's Project Officer for Energy Support, and Constantinos Hadjisavvas, Project Officer for Energy, how EU defence can become greener, less polluting, and help build a more sustainable future for all.