{"id":41704,"date":"2019-09-12T10:11:59","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T10:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/09\/12\/eu-defense-ambitions-may-come-up-short-audit-warns\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:27:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:27:24","slug":"eu-defense-ambitions-may-come-up-short-audit-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2019\/09\/12\/eu-defense-ambitions-may-come-up-short-audit-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"EU defense ambitions may come up short, audit warns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BRUSSELS \u2013 European Union member states\u2019 current military capabilities and cooperation do not match the new level of ambition of the bloc\u2019s defense policy, according to a new review by the European Court of Auditors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, released on Thursday, also questions whether the EU will be able to complement NATO and avoid \u201cduplication and overlapping.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Member states, it says, remain \u201cstrongly in the driving seat\u201d when it comes to European defense and, until 2014, there had only been limited action at EU level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, European defense cooperation has been give new momentum with several initiatives and mechanisms being launched. The European Commission, it notes, has proposed a marked increase in the EU budget for defence and external security: \u20ac22.5 billion for 2021-2027, compared to \u20ac2.8 billion for the 2014-2020 period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The auditors, though, see a risk that \u201cproper control systems\u201d may not be in place to accommodate such an increase in spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There appear to be \u201cclear strategic differences\u201d across EU Member states, whose perceptions of security threats and vision of the EU\u2019s role in defence may differ. Member states also have different rules of engagement and a wide range of views on the use of military force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some concepts, such as \u201cstrategic autonomy\u201d or \u201ca European army\u201d, remain broad and vague, the auditors note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ECA says NATO remains the primary framework when it comes to collective defense, and questions whether the EU is able to complement the Western alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\t