Ukraine Conflict’s Impact on European Defence and Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO)

(Series Information) European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2023 8(2), 765-777 | European Forum Insight of 21 November 2023 | (Table of Contents) I. Crises and threats, incentives for a stronger EU defence - I.1. The initiatives stemming from the EUGS - I.2. The spill-over effect phenomenon applied to the current geopolitical situation - II. The Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) - III. Consequences of the conflict on PESCO - III.1. Consequences on the more binding commitments - III.2. Consequences on the projects - IV. PESCO: an innovative and useful tool, not yet unleashed to the full potential. | (Abstract) The history of a unified European defence has persistently shaped the European Union's foreign policy, evolving over time. The EU has worked on a robust and coherent Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), particularly boosted by the European Union Global Strategy (EUGS) in 2016, which was issued after external shocks threatened Europe, necessitating strategic priorities to adapt to the evolving geo-political landscape. This pursuit mirrored the historic "spill-over effect", wherein threats led to coordi-nated integration. The subsequent development saw the launch of initiatives, including the European Defence Fund (EDF), Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), and Permanent Structured Coop-eration (PESCO) aiming at aligning national defence planning, promoting collaboration, and reinforcing European defence. The Russian military aggression against Ukraine in 2022 triggered a renewed need for integration and cooperation, Member States sought enhanced defence measures, including strengthening PESCO and NATO, and establishing the European Political Community (EPC). In this In-sight, we will explore how the shifting geopolitical landscape impacts European defence, especially fo-cusing on PESCO, a framework defined in the Treaty of the European Union (TEU) and introduced via the EUGS. After analysing PESCO's structure and key elements, we will assess whether the current situ-ation can drive greater integration and address conflict-related challenges. We will also examine potential future scenarios resulting from these changes.