The December European Council on security and defence. The desired outcome. A proposal for a “Memo” for your Head of State/Government
Main Political Message: Defence Matters.
It’s about Europe’s place on the world stage and the overall expectation that Member States ought to achieve the autonomy to launch crisis management operations, whenever required, that can make the difference on the ground. It’s also about industry, jobs and growth. And austerity matters as well. It’s about creating more effective and more efficient (and budget neutral) security and defence capabilities in Europe. Time has come to handle these issues at the Top Level.
(Photo credit: Irish Defence Forces, Flickr)