After years of frequently arid debates, the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy is now developing fast. Progress is being made in co-ordinating national procurement efforts, and the establishment of the European Defence Agency is a landmark. The Institute’s European Programme sets these developments in their wider political and strategic context.Work is also devoted to a continuing analysis of security developments in European countries outside the EU - such as the Balkans and the former Soviet Union.

Programme Outline

The future development of European defence co-operation is a core concern of the Programme, notably the following challenges which it now faces:

• Engagement with the democracies of Central and Eastern Europe, and their selective inclusion as the Union enlarges; relations with neighbouring regions such as the CIS states, the Caucasus/Caspian Sea regions and the Mediterranean.
• The development of the European Security Defence Identity; NATO's accommodation with the EU as the latter builds up its Common European Security & Defence Policy and makes progress towards achieving its Headline Goal.
• The practical efforts of NATO and the EU towards peace-making and peace-building in the Balkans, and the capacity of the Europeans to act as effective crisis managers.

The Programme is also concerned with the promotion of effective defence and efficient defence management, and a number of conferences with an emphasis on UK experience and objectives are organiszd under the aegis of the Programme each year.

The European Security Programme seeks to actively engage in work on European defence integration and also the EU's relations with neighbouring regions. The Programme can also rely on several other individuals for added expertise. RUSI's Director of Studies, Dr Jonathan Eyal, is acknowledged as one of the country's leading experts on Central and South-Eastern European political relations. The Programme also has links to associated institutes on the continent, notably FRS (CREST) in France, the Stiftung fur Wissenschaft und Politik in Germany and the EU Institute for Security Studies in Paris, and has collaborated in joint conferences, seminars and publications.

The Programme is routinely asked to provide briefings to the military, industry, government and academia of the UK and other countries, and is available for contract research and consultancy.