On the eve of the French presidency of the European Council, it is worrying to see that the overall military capability of EU member states is still weak given their economic weight. Without a change in armaments policies, the durability of the European defence industry is un-certain, particularly owing to rising global competition. Four years after the establishment of the European Defence Agency, which is an undeniable success but cannot progress without determination on the part of the member states who steer it, the tools for a European armaments policy are seemingly in place. And the European commission makes a decisive contribution to the establishment of a European defence equipment market with the ‘defence package’. So it is time to make decisions and to launch concrete projects.
