Council approves conclusions on the PESCO Strategic Review
The Council approved conclusions on the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Strategic Review.
The review was launched in November 2023 with the aim of strengthening PESCO, making it more strategic and effective, and adapting it to the new geopolitical reality beyond 2025.
The conclusions confirm the key role of PESCO as an ambitious framework to deepen defence cooperation among the participating member states, and stress that PESCO’s principles and goals remain valid. At the same time, conclusions also highlight that, for PESCO to remain at the centre of EU defence efforts, it needs to be updated in light of the new EU initiatives and policies, especially those stemming from the EU Strategic Compass.
To this end, the current list of 20 binding PESCO commitments should be updated and streamlined. In the future, the revised set of commitments may be structured around key areas such as: defence spending and investment, capability development, armament and industrial cooperation, and operational dimension. These commitments will also need to indicate clear and measurable goals to enhance implementation and transparency, thus ultimately contributing to increased visibility and enhanced political ownership.
Efforts will be made to better connect PESCO with relevant EU initiatives and funding instruments for defence like the European Defence Fund and the proposed European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). The commitments should be updated to further contribute to strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). The Capability Development Plan and resulting EU Capability Development Priorities remain the central reference for EU-wide defence planning and for existing and future defence-related initiatives, policies, and legislation.
PESCO projects should focus on addressing key capability gaps, including for high-intensity warfare, and make the best use of collaborative opportunities identified through the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD).
The conclusions underline the importance of bringing Ukraine closer to EU defence initiatives, in line with the EU-Ukraine joint security commitments signed on 27 June 2024. Against this background, PESCO should contribute to the wider EU efforts aimed at addressing Ukraine’s military needs. Ukraine’s participation in PESCO projects should be facilitated, within the current legal framework. This would support the strengthening of cooperation, leading to the progressive integration of the Ukrainian defence technological and industrial base into the EDTIB.
The PESCO Secretariat is invited to play a stronger and more effective role, across its different tasks.
As a follow up, the Council invites the High Representative to propose relevant amendments to the PESCO legal framework, in particular the Council Decision establishing PESCO, by May 2025.
The Council also adopted a recommendation assessing the progress made by the 26 participating member states to fulfil the more binding commitments undertaken in the framework of PESCO.
Background
Launched in December 2017, PESCO represents a step-change in defence cooperation within the EU. It provides a framework for willing and able member states to jointly develop defence capabilities, coordinate investments, enhance the operational readiness, interoperability and resilience of their armed forces, and collaborate in projects.
To date 26 EU member states have undertaken the more binding commitments that form the basis of PESCO, and there are 66 collaborative projects being developed in various areas: training, land, maritime, air, cyber, and strategic enablers & force multipliers.
On 5 November 2020, the Council established the general conditions under which non-EU countries could exceptionally be invited to participate in individual PESCO projects, thereby paving the way for stronger and more ambitious defence cooperation with partners in the EU framework.