The Reform Treaty, signed in Lisbon on 13 December 2007 and rati­fied by France on 14 February 2008, entails institutional innovations, which could be a turning-point for European defence in its trend to­wards closer cooperation between member states. The MOD’s in­volvement in European defence matters could as a result be considera­bly revised. More generally, the internal modifications of the main European institutions and the likely development of their links should lead the MOD to adapt its relationship with those institutions.