“WE ARE WITNESSING AN ALIGNMENT AND A STRENGTHENING OF INTERNATIONAL MILITARY TIES IN ALL FORA”

The Danish referendum last year and the vote to end the defence opt-out was historic. With a large majority of 66.9%, Denmark sent a clear message to our allies in Europe. With the broad support of the population and in parliament, we received a firm mandate to engage in EU defence policy.

After opting in, joining EDA and Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) were important milestones. With the decision to join EDA in March and PESCO in May of this year, the last remnants of the opt-out were removed and Denmark became a full member of European defence cooperation.

We are happy to be here.

It is a steep learning curve for us, trying to catch up with 20 years of cooperation. We are taking an incremental approach – step by step. We are a newcomer. But among good and old friends, which is an excellent starting point for the cooperation. The war in Ukraine is changing the European defence and security landscape. We are all drawing lessons for the future development of our armed forces and for the means and ways of our international cooperation.

We are witnessing an alignment and a strengthening of international military ties in all fora – EU, NATO and others. Our participation in EDA and PESCO is evidence of this. On a strategic level, there is great potential in EDA in facilitating cooperation and coordinated development between Member States.

And at a time when Europe must take a larger responsibility for its own security, this is more important than ever.

With a full-scale war in Ukraine, it is clear that having robust capabilities, sufficient stocks and a capable industry is vital for national security. It is a strategic question for Europe, and one that we as a smaller country must cooperate on with others. So is defence innovation, to meet the threats of tomorrow.

Hence a clear priority for Denmark is to investigate how we can better integrate industrial actors, including SMEs, research institutions and sub-suppliers in the capability development processes.

PESCO’s ‘More binding commitments’

PESCO brings with it concrete and operational value. For us as Member States and for European security. The Danish government has made it very clear that we intend to actively contribute to increased defence cooperation in the EU, in close cooperation and in complementarity with NATO.

Denmark is already shouldering responsibility for European security. A helicopter doctor in Operation Althea in Bosnia-Herzegovina was our first contribution to an EU mission after removing the opt- out. We are now contributing to the EU’s military training mission, EUMAM Ukraine.

We are exploring further possibilities, also in regard to new EU missions and operations. With participation in both EDA and PESCO, we are also preparing engagement in the defence capability planning processes. From the onset figuring out the best practices to integrate these into our national defence planning. For Denmark, participation in PESCO also means that we can now benefit from being part of important and relevant projects.

From the onset, we will apply for participation in the PESCO projects on Military Mobility and Cyber Rapid Response Teams. These projects are good examples of the added value that EU cooperation brings to the international defence landscape.

We look forward to engaging in more projects going forward. We are now in a position to explore the opportunities in greater detail, including the many relevant capability projects.

New threats

The security landscape has dramatically changed. We are facing a darker and more severe security situation with tensions at the eastern borders, in the Baltic Sea and in the Arctic.

In this new reality, Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security. Here it is in our interest to actively engage and contribute. And to work for close cooperation and complementarity with partners and allies.

We are faced with new threats. Terrorism, cyber and hybrid threats are setting new demands for our societies and our armed forces. Simultaneously, our security of supply and value chains are under pressure. The global technology competition challenges our innovation ecosystem.

The European defence industry is geared towards peacetime. But the war in Ukraine and increased defence budgets across Europe are resulting in capacity shortages. A strengthened European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) is a strategic question for Eruope.

This is a structural challenge that must be addressed at a structural level. The EU has an important toolbox to address industrial challenges.

With the removal of the opt-out, we have a seat at the table and can influence the direction and priorities going forward. We are indeed very happy to be here.