EU’S STRATEGIC COMPASS: MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER POLICY PAPER
When, on 17 June 2020, EU defence Ministers invited the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR/VP) and Head of EDA to prepare, in close cooperation with Member States, “a comprehensive 360 degrees analysis of the full range of threats and challenges, which will provide the background for the Member States to develop a Strategic Compass document to be adopted by the Council in 2022”, nobody imagined that the final approval of the Compass, in March 2022, would coincide with the return of war on European soil.
Rewritten between 24 February and 21 March to reflect Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence has become the EU’s new security and defence instruction manual - both for responding instantly to a war situation in the middle of Europe, and for advancing on the path of European defence cooperation and integration in the longer term.
In the following pages, we dive into the Compass’ substance and hear from key decision-makers what makes this document, to which EDA also contributed, a uniquely ambitious and operational guide for strengthening European Defence.
Hotbed for tomorrow’s capabilities (Available on page 20 of the Magazine)
The new Hub for European Defence Innovation (HEDI) within EDA
“Ignoring cooperation leads to spending more for less” (Available on page 30 of the Magazine)
Interview with OCCAR Director Matteo Bisceglia
Two become One (Available on page 33 of the Magazine)
Multinational Medical Coordination Centre/European Medical Command is operational
“The EU and its defence industry can do a lot” (Available on page 36 of the Magazine)
Interview with the CEO of Patria, Esa Rautalinko
Turning cyber and C2 projects into capabilities (Available on page 40 of the Magazine)
EDA as manager of EDIDP projects
Interoperability, fired by EDA (Available on page 42 of the Magazine)
FIRE BLADE 2022 helicopter exercise in Hungary