EDA News

The EDA Steering Board today appointed Jiří Šedivý, former Czech Defence Minister, as new EDA Chief Executive upon recommendation of the Head of the European Defence Agency Josep Borrell. He will take office in April 2020.

Jiří Šedivý has extensive experience in the defence domain, having served as Defence Minister of the Czech Republic (2006-2007), Deputy Defence Minister (2010-2012), NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning (2007-2010) and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to NATO (2012-2019). He also was Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic (2007). On 1 September 2019 (and until today), Mr Šedivý was appointed by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs as special representative for resilience and new threats.

“Jiří Šedivý’s ministerial and diplomatic experience as well as his deep practical knowledge of the European and transatlantic security and defence realm make him the ideal candidate to lead the European Defence Agency in the coming years. We need a strong and supportive European Defence Agency to ensure coherence and focus on agreed joint priorities in the implementation of our defence initiatives. I am certain Jiří Šedivý will provide this leadership”, Josep Borrell said.

Mr Šedivý has a distinguished academic background. He is a graduate of Charles University, Prague, where he earned a PhD in Political Science, and of King’s College, London, where he earned an MA in War Studies. From 2004 to 2006 he was Professor of Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, lecturing on such topics as defence sector transformation, civil-military relations and national strategy making.

Between 1999 and 2004, he was Director of the Institute of International Relations in Prague, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Charles University, Prague, and Professor of European Security at New York University, Prague Centre. As an expert, he played an important role in the Czech Republic’s accession to NATO. It was during this period that he also served as external adviser to President Václav Havel.

More information

• CV Jiří Šedivý  

The European Defence Agency (EDA) confirms that one staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member tested positive and is currently at home in self isolation since symptoms appeared on Saturday evening (29 February 2020). The individual has reported very light symptoms and not returned to the Agency since.

The staff member promptly informed the Agency and since then EDA has taken several steps:

• EDA is in close contact with the Belgian health authorities as the host nation, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the EU Inter-Institutional Medical Board and the World Health Organisation (WHO);
• EDA has personally informed the few staff members who were in close contact with the colleague concerned four days prior to the appearance of symptoms;
• EDA has asked these staff members to self-isolate themselves for 14 days as a precaution;
• EDA has taken as a precautionary measure - based on guidance received by the EU inter-institutional medical board - the decision to cancel all meetings to be held at its premises and organised by EDA outside its premises until 13 March 2020 inclusive. Additionally, no EDA staff members will attend any external meetings until after 13 March 2020;
• EDA has already carried out a disinfection of the office and relevant meeting facilities of the staff member concerned.

The staff member had recently travelled to Italy (Milan and Cortina) and returned to Brussels on 23 February. The Agency also wishes to address reports in the media, that the impacted staff member attended a meeting with 30 officials from other EU institutions, as incorrect.

EDA will continue to closely monitor the situation and remain in close contact with the responsible health authorities in order to strictly follow their guidance.

A new phase in EDA’s testing and evaluation project of biological detection, identification and monitoring (DIM) equipment was launched on 26 February at a kick-off meeting at the Agency. Dubbed ‘T&E Bio DIM Phase 2’ (2020-2023) the project aims to deliver improved testing and evaluation capabilities to ensure the performance of biological DIM systems at the development and procurement stage. It follows up to the project’s first phase which prepared the ground and set the framework for further action in this domain.   

Five EDA Member States (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands) as well as Norway (which has signed an Administrative Agreement with the Agency) are participating in T&E Bio DIM Phase 2.

Detection, identification and monitoring of biological material are critical to enhancing situational awareness in a timely manner, supporting decisions, and enabling military commanders to take the most appropriate decisions in a recognized chemical and biological environment. Despite the importance of biological DIM, Europe still lacks coordination and harmonisation of the technical requirements for Member States’ test and evaluation (T&E) equipment. This makes it difficult to compare and exchange T&E results both within and between European countries as well as NATO members. It also causes duplication of effort and reduces the cost-effectiveness of both national and international military and civilian T&E efforts, e.g. by limiting the burden-sharing and cost-reduction potential that could have been realised. 

In Phase 1 of the project, a general framework (in the form of a set of commonly defined requirements and criteria) was developed for T&E of biological DIM equipment. Based on this framework, Phase 2 is set to deliver improved testing and evaluation capabilities.
 

T&E Bio DIM Phase2 kick-off meeting at EDA on 26 February 2020
 

European Bio Defence Laboratory Network 

Moreover, another related EDA project is under preparation, the European Bio Defence Laboratory Network (EBLN Phase II), which will aim to strengthen EU preparedness by establishing a fully characterised collection of biological agents and a closely collaborating laboratory network at EU level in order to rapidly identify biothreat agents. Participating Member States in EBLN II are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden.

The two projects are part of EDA’s long term research efforts to enhance Member States’ bio defence capabilities and thereby, improve Europe’s overall ability to respond to emerging biological threats.

 

The EU’s defence tools - Capability Development Plan (CDP), Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), European Defence Fund (EDF) - will only have the desired effect on enhancing the coherence of Europe’s defence landscape and boosting European defence cooperation if they are fully embedded and used by Member States in their national defence planning.  This was the core message conveyed today in Brussels at a seminar co-organised by EDA and the Croatian EU Presidency. 

The objective of the event, which took place in the Agency’s premises, was to exchange views among government representatives on how to practically embed the EU defence initiatives into national defence planning processes and thereby maximise their benefits in support of Member States’ efforts. It was the first time senior national defence planners met to discuss the conceptual and practical implications of the new EU defence initiatives on national defence planning processes and practices.

In his opening statement, EDA’s acting Chief Executive Olli Ruutu said the implementation process of the initiatives was now at a key moment. “CARD is more than halfway through its first full cycle with a final report to be presented to Defence Ministers in November this year. PESCO is moving ahead with the third batch of projects approved and a strategic review also scheduled  towards the end of this year. Preparations for the EDF are entering a decisive phase. Hence, this is the right moment for a check-up of what has been achieved so far and to listen to Member States’ views in order to maximise the benefits for them. Member States’ ownership through embedding the EU defence tools into their national defence planning processes is crucial for their success”, stated Mr Ruutu.

Representing the Croatian EU Presidency, Dunja Bujan, the acting Defence Policy Director at the Croatian Ministry of Defence, stressed the need to increase the coherence between the EU defence initiatives and national defence planning. “In the foreseeable future, we will continue to pull our strength and ability to act from national armed forces and budgets. No EU defence initiative will be able to compensate that. If we want the EU defence initiatives to succeed, we need to keep them in line with this reality” and thus embed them into national planning. “The sooner we start to do that, the greater will be the chance to avoid any potential future discrepancies”, she stated.
 

Panel discussions

The keynote speeches were followed by two panel discussions. The first featured Major General Eric Charpentier (France’s National Capability Director), Rear Admiral Juha Vauhkonen (Finland’s military representative to EU/NATO), Lieutenant General Jaromir Zuna (Czech First Deputy Chief of General Staff) and Colonel Jorge Farre (Head of EU Department in Spain’s MoD). It mainly focused on the questions of whether the initiatives have already impacted national defence planning and to what extent the wider EU perspective is being taken into account in Member States’ decision-making.

The second panel looked at practical steps towards improving the implementation and usage of the tools in national processes. This panel was composed by Major General Jorge Côrte-Real Andrade (National R&T Director and Deputy Director of the Directorate-general of National Defence Resources at the Portuguese MoD),  Brigadier General Ludy Schmidt (Deputy Capability Director at the Dutch Ministry of Defence) and Colonel Markus Kohlweg (Head of Unit, Multinational Defence Planning, at the Austrian MoD). 

Seminar co-organised by EDA and the Croatian EU Presidency

 

Member States’ National Armaments Directors (NADs) met on 20 February at the Agency for their biannual Steering Board meeting under the chairmanship of Bulgaria’s Deputy Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov. 

Acting Chief Executive Olli Ruutu updated NADs on the progress made on a wide range of EDA projects, programmes and activities. Directors discussed the state of play and next steps to be taken on the Strategic Context Cases (SCC) through which the revised European Capability Development Priorities are being implemented. They were also briefed on the development of the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA) as well as on the Agency’s work on the Key Strategic Activities (KAS). 

The state of play and the Agency’s role in the implementation of the EU defence initiatives (CARD, PESCO, EDF) were also presented and debated with the participation of representatives of the European External Action Service including the EU Military Staff,  and the European Commission (DG Defence Industry and Space). On CARD, Directors were informed that the Aggregated Analysis will be sent to Member States in May. Following further discussions, including at NADs level, the final CARD report will then be presented to Ministers in November. Directors were also briefed by the PESCO Secretariat on the progress made so far this year which will be particularly important given the  ongoing PESCO Strategic Review.

Directors were also provided with an update on EDA’s cooperation with the Commission and a briefing by the new Commission DG Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS). The Directors were also briefed on the cooperation with the Commission DG Environment in the area of Circular Economy.  

The Steering Board was also briefed by the EDA and NATO on EU-NATO cooperation and the progress made in the implementation of the Joint Declaration.

Experts met in Brussels to intensify co-ordination against cyber threats and staff-to-staff relations.

After a successful first edition at Europol in June 2019, the second iteration of the Staff Exchange initiative between the four Parties to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – the European Defence Agency (EDA), CERT-EU, the EU Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), took place from 17 to 20 February 2020. 

As part of the MoU partners’ Roadmap 2020-2021, this programme seeks to promote a better mutual understanding of respective priorities, practices and to deepen the working relationships across the respective organisations. Hosted jointly by EDA and CERT-EU in Brussels, the experts focused on strategic developments in cyber defence, trained in threat hunting and met with industry representatives. 

Olli Ruutu, EDA Chief Executive (ad interim), said: “The staff exchange is an excellent opportunity to share views and knowledge and further improve our common understanding of the work done by our respective entities. It is also a special moment for thinking outside the box with like-minded colleagues. There is a lot to be taken away from these Staff Exchanges which fully reflect the collaborative spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding we concluded in May 2018 to leverage synergies between our four organisations and promoting cooperation on cyber security and cyber defence.”

Saâd Kadhi, the Head of CERT-EU, said: “This second Staff Exchange builds on the achievements of the one before. It will continue to improve the mutual understanding and cooperation between our organisations, ultimately leading to better collective cyber defence.”

Juhan Lepassaar, ENISA’s Executive Director, said: “The EU Cybersecurity Agency welcomes the Staff Exchange initiative hosted by EDA and CERT-EU and sees this as a fruitful, knowledge-sharing exercise that fosters increased collaboration between the signatories.”

Fernando Ruiz, Acting Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre said: “The close cooperation and knowledge sharing between our entities contribute to building a robust European cyber defence. This Staff Exchange initiative, hosted by the European Defence Agency and CERT-EU, will strengthen the capabilities of our experts to effectively tackle the cyber threat and protect EU citizens, businesses and organisations.”
 

More information:

• Four EU cybersecurity organisations enhance cooperation (EDA webnews)

On 21 April 2020, EDA will host a workshop on Cloud Computing Security, co-organised with the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU Institutions, Bodies and Agencies (CERT-EU). To prepare this workshop, EDA issued today a call for papers inviting industry to join the debate and provide input.  

The workshop will take into account the industry contributions which will help to determine the final programme and setting.

Interested parties have until 23 March to submit their contributions.  

The papers should be no longer than 1,500 words and not contain commercially sensitive information. They should focus on one or more aspects of cloud computing security and assess security challenges based on the contributor’s experience and propose potential solutions to specific problems.  

More details about the call and the conditions attached can be found here.

The “Europe for Aviation” team, made up of eight European aviation organisations working to implement the Single European Sky (SES), will gather at this year’s World ATM Congress, from 10 to 12 March in Madrid, Spain.  Over the course of the 3-day Congress, these organisations will showcase how through collaboration they can go much further tackling the most pressing challenges facing aviation, such as sustainability, capacity and innovation.

This year EDA will be there as part of the “Europe for Aviation” stand and theatre (#849 and #1151) to represent the military aspects of SES/SESAR. The stand will host a wide range of briefings, presentations and guided SESAR walking tours, illustrating the collaboration in action between the European aviation organisations working to implement SES,  namely the European Commission, EUROCONTROL, SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU), SESAR Deployment Manager (SESAR DM), European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), and EUROCAE.

Our experts will be on the stand throughout the congress, so pass by and find out more about the EDA and its work on SES/SESAR.  For more on the World ATM Conference visit our event page.

‘RESHUB’, a Slovenian-led project supported by EDA with a view to improving energy efficiency in the defence sector, has been awarded EU funding (€310,000) under the Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP) of the European Commission. It is the first time a defence-energy project is given access to EU funding with the help of EDA. 

“RESHUB”, which stands for ‘Defence RESilience Hub Network in Europe’, is a project conceived and led by the Slovenian Ministry of Defence under the Consultation Forum on Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector (CF SEDSS) which is currently in its third phase. Other participating countries in the project are Austria, Belgium, Germany and Hungary. 

The aim of RESHUB is to help build a renewable energy harvesting and hydrogen (H2) energy storage capability and to facilitate cross-Europe transportation, which will lower CO2 emissions and contribute to energy sustainability in the EU defence and security sector. EDA was instrumental in helping participating Member States prepare and draft the RESHUB application following a call for SRSP applications issued by the Commission.

The successful application is important in several regards. First it confirms that defence-related projects are eligible for EU funding under the Structural Reform Support Programme which will remain accessible in the EU’s next multiannual budget (2021-2027).  Secondly, it shows that the  Consultation Forum, a European Commission funded initiative managed and run by EDA, is a forum where practical projects can be initiated and brought to the next level. 
 

More information:

• Access to EU funding for Defence
• Access to “European Funding Gateway for Energy in Defence”
• CF SEDSS
• CF SEDSS: defence energy-related project ideas
• EDA Chief Executive and Slovenian MoD’s talks on EU defence cooperation.(EDA webnews)

On 17 January, EDA staff together with senior representatives from Member States, EU institutions/bodies/agencies, NATO, industry as well as the wider European defence community bid farewell to Chief Executive Jorge Domecq. Mr Domecq will depart from the Agency at the end of this month when his term comes to an end after five years. 

Deputy Chief Executive Olli Ruutu thanked Mr Domecq for his relentless, hard work and commitment at the helm of the Agency over the last five years. During this period, especially after the presentation of the EU Global Strategy in 2016, “the EU defence cooperation environment changed fundamentally” with the setting up of unprecedented cooperation tools such as the Coordinated Annual Review of Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF). “In this cooperation with our colleagues in Member States and in European institutions, you have put your mark on developing EU defence initiatives for a structure whose purpose is to make Europe more capable (…) Europe’s ability to provide added value to our security, and to tangibly support our defence capabilities, is more important than ever. For putting this commitment and conviction into action, your work must be truly commended”. 

Under Mr Domecq’s leadership, the Agency expanded its activities considerably across the areas of capability development, research and critical enablers. Mr Domecq leaves behind him an Agency that is “solid, administratively sound and accountable” and therefore fit for purpose to play its role in the development of a Europe of Defence, Mr Ruutu concluded.    
 

Five defining years for the Agency

Mr Domecq, a senior Spanish diplomat with previous experiences in NATO, OSCE and UN, joined the European Defence Agency on 1 February 2015 for a first mandate of three years which, following a proposal by then Head of the Agency Federica Mogherini, was extended for an additional two years, until 1 February 2020. 

With the Global Strategy triggering the launch by Member States of the EU defence initiatives (CARD, PESCO, EDF) and calling on Member States to make “full use” of the Agency’s potential, Mr Domecq led the Agency’s work to provide a fundamental contribution to advancing and implementing defence cooperation in line with a new level of ambition. 

Within this context, the Agency’s Long Term Review (LTR) in 2017 led to a significant reinforcement of EDA’s tasks: as the main intergovernmental prioritisation instrument at EU level in support of capability development; as the preferred cooperation forum and management support structure at EU level to engage in technology and capability development activities; and with regard to EU funded defence-related activities and military voice in wider EU polices. The LTR adjustments subsequently allowed EDA to adapt quickly and smoothly to the fast-changing European defence landscape and the new requirements stemming from CARD, PESCO and the EDF.   

Mr Domecq also successfully oversaw adaptations in the Agency’s activity portfolio to reflect changing threats (hybrid warfare) and new emerging technologies, such as 3-D printing, cyber and artificial intelligence. Within his mandate, EDA’s cooperation with industry and its relations with EU institutions and agencies, other organisations such as OCCAR, ESA and NATO have considerably developed.  

As of 1 February 2020 and until the new Chief Executive takes office, EDA's Deputy Chief Executive, Olli Ruutu, will exercise ad interim the duties of the Chief Executive.

 

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) are embarking on new cooperative projects for exploring unknown and potentially hazardous environments: harnessing drones for the monitoring of disaster-stricken regions or toxic spill sites and making use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to navigate across the surface of asteroids or other terra incognita.

These two new joint projects have been authorised by the ESA Council and Steering Board of EDA. They are the latest in a long history of cooperation enabled by the ESA-EDA Administrative Arrangement, originally signed in 2011 and recently extended for a second time.
 

Innovation in disaster response

Space-based services have fast become essential to Europe’s safety and security. In 2017, a previous ESA-EDA Implementing Agreement demonstrated the use of space-based assets to respond to threats from toxic and hazardous materials. The project showed that space systems were beneficial to fast and accurate response to such threats in terms of situational awareness, early warning, detection and response planning.

Based on this success, the two agencies decided to extend their cooperation in this area, and in December signed an implementing agreement to carry out a next-stage demonstration project called Autonomous Drone Services (AUDROS).

By integrating space assets in sectors such as telecommunications, navigation and Earth observation, the partners will demonstrate the benefits of using autonomous and/or remotely piloted aerial vehicles to both detect toxic material and carry out rapid response to large-scale disasters. This activity will lead to the development of operational services that will deliver support to defence and security users on a permanent basis.
 

Flying into the unknown

ESA and the EDA are also cooperating in the development of new AI-based capabilities in the field of guidance, navigation and control (GNC) – knowing where an asset is and steering where it is going. Advanced, autonomous GNC is set to become an indispensable element of ambitious future space missions such as rendezvousing with asteroids and comets or the active removal of hazardous space debris from orbit. 
This joint project, dubbed ATENA, will develop AI-based systems with the capability of flying safely over unknown territory, such as an asteroid, to achieve enhanced navigation performance compared to current vision-based techniques based on feature tracking.
 

Deepening ESA-EDA cooperation

Through the two partners’ deepening cooperation, Europe is better equipped to implement priority objectives across cyber and maritime security, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, remotely piloted aircraft systems, secure satellite communications, autonomous access to space and ongoing Earth observation.

“The role of space-based services for security and defence actors is a recognised priority for Europe. The importance of space assets and applications for defence capabilities is reflected in the revised Capability Development Plan (CDP) approved by Member States at the EDA Steering Board in June 2018”, said EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq. “ESA is a natural and trusted partner for us. Over the years we have built a cooperation that has yielded numerous successful projects, through eight Implementing Agreements totalling over €5 million in shared investments, covering several priority areas.” 

For ESA, its partnership with EDA is a key component of the Agency’s relationship with the EU and of Agency commitments to the safety and security of Europe. “Through our political and technical dialogue, we are able to identify joint priorities hand-in-hand with users of space systems and security communities”, comments Jan Wörner, ESA’s Director General. “This virtuous dynamic is a key driving force of ESA’s space safety initiatives, recently endorsed and funded at our Space19+ Council at Ministerial Level.”

 

On 1 January 2020, EDA commenced its first deployment of civilian, fixed-wing Aeromedical Evacuation (AIRMEDEVAC) services to support Belgian Armed Forces operations in Niger in Africa. Belgian forces are active in several areas throughout Africa, including: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.  In Niger, they are delivering training and operational advice to the Forces Armée Nigériennes (FANER) and operate in austere conditions with only limited medical support facilities.

To provide appropriate medical oversight, the deployment provides an aircraft based, primary life support capability, available 24/7 throughout the designated operational theatre, to move injured personnel from the main Damage Control Surgery Unit in the city of Maradi to definitive care facilities in neighbouring Gao, Chad or, in extremis, for repatriation to Europe.

EDA is no stranger to providing direct support to operations and maintains an entire unit dedicated to operational support, training and exercises. The niche services provided by the Agency, such as those within the EU SatCom Market, offer an attractive and easily accessible turn-key capability to many Member States’ planners. In national and CSDP operations and missions, the provision of certain key capabilities can be challenging. Typically operations or missions are deployed on short notice, in remote areas. In many cases, capabilities are not available and outsourcing is necessary to provide services from private companies. Experience has shown that contracting on the spot under time pressure is not a cost-effective solution. Having in place ready-to-use arrangements is very beneficial in order to reduce the administrative burden and achieve economies of scale.
 

Framework contracts

In 2019, EDA concluded several framework contracts with international aeromedical providers to cover fixed and rotary wing AIRMEDEVAC services in Africa and Europe. The project’s objective was the provision of in-theatre AIRMEDEVAC services to evacuate patients from the point of injury to an initial Medical Treatment Facility (Forward AIRMEDEVAC normally conducted by rotary wing platforms) or fixed-wing transfer between in-theatre Medical Treatment Facilities (Tactical AIRMEDEVAC) to be used in frame of national and/or international defence and/or security operations. The project is designed around military technical requirements developed by EU Military Staff and Member States experts and endorsed by the EU Military Committee.

The EDA AIRMEDEVAC contracts will run until January 2023 for a maximum value of 120 million Euro. The project currently involves four participating Member States (AT, BE, DE and NL)  but is also attracting interest from other EU agencies and bodies and look set to grow with further work in hand to examine the provision rotary wing Forward AIRMEDEVAC services later in the year.

The Belgian Defence Staff offered their own comment on the new capability: “This type of contractual vector offers ‘ready-to-use’ solutions allowing quick response to operational needs. EDA is advantageously taking care of procurement process, contracting, invoicing, etc. whilst the customer still keeps the right to take part in the evaluation of tenders by each reopening of competition and also remains responsible for controlling the performance of the contract once signed. The process with EDA is highly professional and quick, offering time and budget savings”.

Aside from direct support to operations, the unit also supports fixed, rotary and unmanned training and exercise activities.  Since 2009, it has developed a wide portfolio of advanced tactics courses for  European helicopter crews, employing simulator based and live training events covering hot and cold weather operations, both day and night, including weapon drops and support to special forces. Similarly, the Agency continues to support fixed-wing air transport operations under the banner of the European Air Transport Force (EATF) Programme, including capacity building activities for specific fleets (C-295, C-130) and initial training of Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) drone pilots and operators. 
 

More information:

• Contracts signed for the provision of aero medical evacuation services in Europe and Africa (EDA webnew, February 2019)
• EDA factsheet on AIRMEDEVAC

 

The European Defence Agency has today published its annual Defence Data report for the year 2018, detailing spending by the 27 EDA Member States. Total defence expenditure stands at €223 billion, representing a 3% increase on 2017  and marks the fifth consecutive year of increased defence spending. EDA’s report also finds that Member States are not meeting spending commitments in key areas.   
 

Total defence expenditure returns to pre-financial crisis levels  

The year’s report finds that overall defence spending by the 27 EDA Member States has almost returned to pre-financial crisis levels, €225 billion in 2007 compared to €223.4 billion in 2018. This level of spending represents 1.4% of GDP and 3.1% of total government expenditure. Although overall spending fell by 11% between 2007 and 2013, since 2014 Member States defence expenditure is increasing in line with economic growth.  

“It is extremely positive that defence budgets have almost fully returned to pre-financial crisis levels, with 2018 marking the fifth consecutive year of increased spending. Our report is evidence that Member States have put a renewed impetus into defence spending after suffering heavily in the years following the financial crisis. Nevertheless, EDA’s findings do paint a mixed picture in terms of European collaborative defence, with a worrying fall in both equipment procurement and R&T spending in a European context. While European collaborative defence R&T still remains significantly below 2008 levels, it is encouraging that the value and number of ad-hoc R&T projects under EDA is increasing”, Jorge Domecq, EDA’s Chief Executive, commented. 
 

Shortfalls on collective spending commitments  

Despite the rise in total defence expenditure, spending on fulfilling collective benchmarks has failed to keep pace. Spending on areas where collective benchmarks have been agreed namely: Defence Investment; Defence Research and Technology; European Collaborative Defence Equipment Procurement; and European Collaborative Defence R&T all still remain below 2008 levels. EDA’s report provides detailed analysis of how current spending relates to these four collective benchmarks agreed at the EDA Steering Board in 2007, as follows:

• €44.5 billion on Defence Investment (procurement of new equipment and R&D), representing 19.9% of Total Defence Expenditure against a collective benchmark of 20%; 
• €6.4 billion on European Collaborative Defence Equipment Procurement, representing  17.8% of Total Defence Equipment Procurement against a collective benchmark of 35%; 
• €2.1 billion on Defence Research and Technology, totalling 0.9% of Total Defence Expenditure against a collective benchmark of 2%; and, 
• €153 million on European Collaborative Defence R&T, totalling 7.3% of Total Defence R&T against a collective benchmark of 20%.    
   

Key findings  

However, among the 27 EDA Member States some disparities in achieving these benchmarks can be observed:  

• 14 Member States spent 20% or more of their defence budget on investment in 2018, up from 7 states in 2014;     

• 21 Member States now dedicate more than 10% of defence budget on investments;  

• 8 Member States combined account for 96% of total defence research and technology spending, with the largest four accounting for 85%.   
   

Background 

EDA collects defence data on an annual basis, and has done so since 2006, in line with the Agency’s ministerial Steering Board decision of November 2005. The Ministries of Defence of the Agency’s 27 Member States (all EU Member States except Denmark) provide the data. EDA acts as the custodian of the data and publishes the aggregated figures in its booklets. 

All data is collated (“Total incorporates 27 EDA Member States”), and it has been rounded. Defence expenditure figures are provided in constant 2018 prices in order to take inflation into account and allow for a comparison across years.  
 

More information  

• EDA Report: Defence Data 2017-2018 Key Findings and Analysis  

OCCAR Director Matteo Bisceglia today visited EDA to discuss with Chief Executive Jorge Domecq bilateral cooperation and programmes of relevance to both organisations.  

EDA-OCCAR cooperation has deepened significantly since the signature of an Administrative Arrangement in 2012. As privileged partners in the field of defence capabilities development, EDA and OCCAR share information on projects and programmes of common interest throughout their lifecycle, helping to guarantee a seamless handover in each case, with both parties remaining involved and informed at every stage.  

Today was the second meeting between Mr Bisceglia and Mr Domecq, their discussions mainly focused on the state of play of bilateral cooperation to support key programmes and activities, including the Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF), MALE RPAS and ESSOR. Mr Domecq outlined EDA’s latest developments in these projects, notably the recent high-level coordination mechanism for RPAS ATI held at EDA and updates from the European Secure Software Defined Radio (ESSOR) workshops.  

“I believe that EDA and OCCAR cooperation avoids duplication in the European armament field. We have to take stock and make use of the available resources, and OCCAR has 20 years of proven record in the successful delivery of complex armament programmes. 

I am also convinced that together EDA and OCCAR, in line with our own complementary responsibilities, represent a real strong tool to launch and execute all sorts of programmes for the benefit of the European Nations”, Mr Bisceglia said.   

Mr Bisceglia and Mr Domecq also discussed EDA-OCCAR interaction in areas such as REACH and the Military Airworthiness Authorities Forum.     

“EDA and OCCAR are two important actors in European defence cooperation, our close relationship has been extremely positive for our organisations, programmes and defence cooperation in general, which have all benefited from each other’s expertise”, Mr Domecq commented.

 

An important step towards incentivising and facilitating the launch of collaborative defence capability and research programmes in Europe was made today when Alexander Stubb, the Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), signed the programme arrangement setting up a Cooperative Financial Mechanism (CFM). The signing took place during a meeting with EDA Chief Jorge Domecq at the Agency’s premises. Initiated by EDA, the CFM was negotiated over the past three years. It is designed to overcome the recurrent problem of unsynchronised defence budgets in participating Member States which can hinder or impede the launch of collaborative defence projects. 

So far, 10 participating Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain) have already signed the Programme Arrangement or declared their intention to join the programme. More countries signalled their willingness to join the programme in the coming weeks. Developed as a so-called ‘Category A’ programme of the Agency, the CFM is entirely voluntary. Member States can freely decide if they wish to participate, contribute and support projects. 

Today, the launch of collaborative defence capability and research projects is sometimes delayed or hampered by the fact that defence budgetary availabilities might differ among partners, for instance for an unexpected budgetary restriction or a shift in national priorities. As a result, it happens that countries interested in a collaborative project cannot join or have to postpone their participation because the required funding is not approved or available at a particular moment. The CFM, acting as trusted platform offering mutual inter-state help, or alternatively outside support from the EIB, was established to mitigate this problem. It will enter into force at the date of the signature of the last country having declared its intention to join.

EDA Chief Jorge Domecq stated: “The Agency’s role is to promote and incentivise collaborative defence projects in Europe and to help create the right conditions for that. The CFM adds a very powerful instrument to our toolbox in the context of an enhanced momentum for defence cooperation fostered by the EU defence initiatives. In future, mismatching budgetary cycles or provisional gaps in funding should no longer exclude member states from participating in multinational programmes”. 

EIB Vice-President Alexander Stubb commented: “Europe has to be at the forefront of the development of key strategic defence technologies, including AI and digitalisation. With cooperation we can improve EU efficiency and innovation ability and strengthen EU capacity to prevent and respond to hybrid threats. A lack of access to suitable financing solutions allowing to better synchronize joint resources is seen as one of the major impediments to the launch or implementation of defence related cooperative projects. This is where the EU bank comes into play. Via the CFM, the EIB can strengthen its lending in support of public sector projects, with, inter alia, potential investments in the fields of dual-use RDI of defence or cybersecurity technologies, including projects envisaged under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation PESCO.”
 

Two pillar structure

The CFM will be structured in two pillars:

• the first pillar foresees the European Investment Bank (EIB) as the sole lender through the conclusion of bilateral framework loan agreements between EIB and the interested Member State having joined the CFM arrangement (CFM Member). To obtain the EIB’s financial support, projects submitted must respect the eligibility requirements set by the Bank’s lending policy, while the volume of the lending facility and the interest rate applied are negotiated on a case-by-case basis by the EIB and the interested CFM Member. The EIB involvement is supported and facilitated by the EDA which will act as the ‘Facility Agent’ on behalf of EIB under its instructions and responsibility, serving as a primary point of contact between the EIB and the beneficiary CFM Member in the technical assessment of the feasibility of each project;

• the second pillar provides for a State-to-State support facility, through a system of reimbursable advances and deferred payments. It can be used to support any defence related project. The facility is structured as a set of individual bank accounts which are opened and managed by the EDA under the control of the CFM Members. Within that pillar, any CFM Member can submit a request for financial support to other CFM Members being part of a same collaborative project. While the Programme Arrangement provides the overarching legal framework setting the general requirements and conditions for State-to-State support, the specific conditions of each advance will be set out in separate agreements to be concluded between the supporting CFM Member, the beneficiary CFM Member and the EDA, as facilitator.
  The administrative and operational costs of the CFM will be covered by existing EDA resources meaning CFM Members will not have to bear additional costs for the management of the mechanism. Notwithstanding any financial support granted under the CFM, projects or programmes subject to such financial support will remain at all times governed and managed according to their own rules.
   

More information:

• European Defence Agency and European Investment Bank sign cooperation agreement (Feb 2018)

 

The latest European Defence Matters magazine (N°18) is now available, with a special focus on the state of implementation of the new EU defence initiatives (CARD, PESCO, EDF). The magazine also features exclusive articles by the new Head of EDA, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the Union and Vice-President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, as well as the new Chair of the European Parliament’s subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), Nathalie Loiseau.  You can read the magazine in PDF here or in digital format here.  

In the magazine’s cover story, we review and analyse the impressive work done so far on the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF), and assesse the main first lessons learned for each of them during their initial implementation phase. 

We also sat down with representatives from three EDA Member States – Austria’s Defence Political Director General Major Johann Frank, France’s National Capability Director Major General Eric Charpentier, and Greece’s National Armament Director Vice Admiral Kyriakos Kyriakidis - to hear what impact the EU defence initiatives have already had on their national defence planning.

Finally, Dr Gustav Lindstrom, the Director of the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), shares with us his analysis on what is needed to make the best out the new EU defence tools in the future.

The ongoing debate about the EU’s ambition of moving towards ‘strategic autonomy’ in the security and defence domain, stated in the 2016 Global Strategy, is analysed in an article by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq who argues that the topic is too important to be flogged to death in endless theoretical talk on its end-goal. What counts, he says, are practical steps allowing the EU to move closer towards this goal.

The magazine also puts a spotlight on several collaborative projects run by EDA on such diversified topics as the Cooperative Financial Mechanism (CFM), Cyber Defence and military diving standards. 

Have a look immediately – and enjoy!
 

More information:

• EDM Magazine N°18 (PDF)
• Digital version of EDM Magazine 

 

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq today hosted a meeting of the principals of the cyber organisations signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concluded in May 2018: the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU Institutions, Bodies and Agencies (CERT-EU).  

The purpose of the meeting was to assess the progress achieved since the 2018 MoU and to plan the future cooperation activities for 2020-2021. The MoU provides a comprehensive cooperative framework through which civil-military synergies can be promoted, ultimately aiming to improve cybersecurity of all stakeholders and support Member States’ cyber defence programmes.  

In 2019, quadrilateral cooperation was further enhanced with various activities, regular exchanges on topical cybersecurity aspects and participation in respective events of interest. 

Looking ahead, the collaboration roadmap prepared by the MoU working group envisages concrete activities on cyber training & education, technology development. The updated roadmap sets ambitious objectives for the coming year, effectively taking the level of cooperation to a new level. As part of the cooperation, the four partners are planning to organise a major event in the second part of 2020, improve their cooperation along the lines of major cybersecurity policy implementation (notably, the Cybersecurity Act) and the update Cyber Defence Policy Framework. They also commit to pay additional attention to improving incident response mechanisms and processes as well as increased joint contributions to high visibility events on Cybersecurity and Cyber Defence.

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq said: “The efforts required by the implementation of the Cyber Defence Policy Framework and, in general, by our contributing Member States in the cyber defence domain are consistently increasing, and require specialised and committed resources. The collaboration enabled by the MoU is a key factor of our efforts to harmonize these efforts, avoid duplication and support Member States in their capability development programmes”.

ENISA Chief Executive Director Juhan Lepassar said: “I trust this new roadmap will enable the four partners to a closer, more effective collaboration and provide a valuable platform to help the European Union achieve the aims of the EU cyber crisis cooperation Blueprint”. 

The Head of Europol's European Cybercrime Centre, Steven Wilson said: "This agreement has paved the road for a number of significant developments in the fight against cybercrime. At Europol's European Cybercrime Centre, we welcome the challenges and opportunities that are to come and continue to believe that we are stronger together in our efforts of securing Europe in the digital age." 

The Head of CERT-EU, Saâd Kadhi, stated: “As an entity with a mission to act as the cybersecurity information exchange and incident response coordination hub for its constituents, cooperation runs through CERT-EU’s veins. This MoU, and the ambitious deliverables we have set ourselves, is truly key to strengthening our collective capabilities and reinforcing the ties between the cyber defence, security and law enforcement communities".

 

More information: 

• Four EU cybersecurity organisations enhance cooperation (webnews May 2018)
• EDA factsheet Cyber Defence
• European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) 
• Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) 
• Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU Institutions, Agencies and Bodies (CERT-EU) 

 

EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq this afternoon closed the Agency’s 2019 Annual Conference which was devoted to debating the current state of implementation and the future prospects of the new EU defence initiatives. Before that, NATO's Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Camille Grand, had underlined in his speech the strong relationship, cooperation and complementarity between NATO and the EU, two organisations which are "two sides of the same coin".      

Although it is premature to declare today that the new EU defence cooperation tools (CARD, PESCO, EDF) will deliver on all their promises, they definitely have the potential to be very successful and lead, over time, to a more structured joint European defence planning framework that will enable systematic cooperation, from investment and capability development to the joint operational use of those capabilities, Mr Domecq said in his concluding remarks. However, everything will depend on how efficiently and coherently they are implemented, and to what extent Member States will actually use and embed these tools into their national defence thinking and planning, the EDA Chief Executive stressed, reflecting a general assessment expressed throughout the conference.  

 

Main takeaways

Mr Domecq singled out a number of commonalities expressed during the conference which could serve as the main takeaways of today's event, such as:

• the sense of urgency to use the current window of opportunity to push ahead with the Europe of Defence;
• the need to deliver quick results by ensuring an efficient, coherent and output-oriented implementation of the tools;
• the importance of following an integrated approach which includes all the actors on EU level (EDA, EEAS, EUMC, EUMS, Commission, Council) as well as national Ministries of Defence;
• the priority of the operational military needs and requirements which have to guide the industrial needs, not the other way around
• the need to safeguard and invest in Key Strategic Activities to make the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base more sustainable, as a key aspect of strategic autonomy.   

  

Lively and interactive panel discussions 

Throughout the day, between the various keynote speeches (see other related webnews on the opening speeches and the ministerial debate), conference attendees also enjoyed two lively, interactive and highly interesting panel debates, each of them focusing on a specific aspect of European defence.

Moderated by EUISS Director Dr Gustav Lindstrom, the first panel entitled 'CARD, PESCO, EDF: taking stock and looking ahead' featured Admiral Rob Bauer (Dutch Chief of Defence), Dirk Hoke (CEO of Airbus Defence & Space), Herald Ruijters (Director at the European Commission's DG MOVE), Esa Pulkkinen (Director General of the EU Military Staff) as well as Benedikt Zimmer (German State Secretary for Defence Procurement). The panelist focused on the need to ensure a smooth and hands-on implementation of the new EU defence cooperation tools, and to always keep in mind the armed forces' real capability needs and priorities. The key driver of all cooperation must be the capability requirements and needs of our forces, and nothing else, said Mr Zimmer. He also called for "proper and fair partnerships" between the European defence industries and countries to unleash the full potential of defence cooperation. In this respect, Dirk Hoke (Airbus) raised the importance of solving the sensitive issue of intellectual property rights. "As long this question is not solved, we will see duplication" in the development of capabilities, he said. The current fragmentation of Europe' capability landscape is not sustainable, stressed Admiral Bauer. Capabilities, such as for example military helicopters, can be produced by different industries in different countries "but please build just one type of them, not 28", he said.       

The second panel, moderated by EDA's Industry, Synergies & Enablers Director, Emilio Fajardo, discussed the 'Technological and industrial dimension of the EU's new level of ambition on defence'. It featured Thierry Carlier (Director International Development, Direction Générale de l'Armement), Éric Béranger (CEO of MBDA),  Steven Blockmans (Head of the EU Foreign Policy Unit at the Centre for European Policy Studies CEPS), Micael Johansson (President/CEO of SAAB Group) Paula Queipo Rodriguez (Director of Business Operations, IDONIAL Centro Tecnológico),  Dr Margriet Drent (Senior Research Fellow at Clingendael). A strong focus was put on Europe's so-called Key Strategic Activities (skills, technologies, manufacturing capabilities) which should be safeguarded to maintain and increase Member States armed forces' freedom of action and allow the EU to move towards strategic autonomy.
 

More information:

• Welcome speech by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq
• Speech by Michel Barnier (European Commission Chief Negotiator)
• Speech by General Claudio Graziano, Chairman of EU Military Committee
• Speech by NATO ASG Camille Grand

EDA today announced the winner of the 2019 EDA Defence Innovation Prize which, this year, rewards the most innovative idea or application for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in defence. The trophy goes to epic.blue, a young Belgian company specialised in Location Intelligence Systems, for their idea to use AI-driven tactical decision aids to provide commanders of military operations with accurate and seamless positioning data of teams in GNSS-denied environments. The Prize was handed over by EDA Deputy Chief Executive Olli Ruutu at a ceremony in the margins of the Agency’s Annual Conference today in Brussels.

The availability, in all circumstances, of precise, reliable and constantly updated data on the current operational status and environment of an operation is crucial and helps military commanders to speed up and improve their decision-making. The benefits for military operations using new AI-based location intelligence tools are increased situational awareness, safety and operational effectiveness. 

The starting point for the winning idea was the fact that commanders are more and more overwhelmed by a deluge of information, driven by the continuous rise of available sensor data and the increased inter-connectivity of deployed systems. By contrast, a long-standing information gap still exists: accurate positioning of teams in GNSS-denied environments. The solution proposed in the winning project is thus to create a range of AI tactical decision aids (TDA) which, together with humans in the loop, can considerably augment commanders’ thought processes and speed of decision-making, thanks to accurate and seamless positioning of their troops, even in GNSS-denied environments. 

The proposed AI decision aids would use 4D data generated and collected during trainings and operations: movement of forces, time and location of hostile encounters, theoretical planning and movement, etc.. All that 4D data captured by the system is stored with timestamp and location to create a storyboard for post-mission analysis. Using this data, AI can then be made to learn which are normal movement and timing patterns of safe operations. This creates an understanding of the normal situation, without needing a lot of human intervention. If the AI detects deviations of the norm, alerts are raised and alternate courses of action can be proposed. Prediction capacities could also be included in the future. The resulting capability would be an AI-driven tool which can observe current operations and propose alternatives as required by the operational circumstances. 

"We are very pleased to receive EDA’s Defence Innovation Prize. epic.blue’s mission is to ensure the safety, security and effectiveness of field teams. This recognition enables us to further carry our mission into the security domain and create strong partnerships", stated the company’s CEO, Michael Ilsbroux.
 

About epic.blue

epic.blue is a leading technology company providing COTS software for high-performance and highly accurate location intelligence in business critical systems. it is specialised in combining and visualizing so-called 4D data (3D location and Time) and IoT sensor data. The Artificial Intelligence engine the company has developed manages a dynamic digital representation of field operations. It enables to understand, predict and optimise the performance of operations in real-time. This engine also powers ‘Shyn’, the company’s personal location and safety device for seamless positioning in GNSS-denied environments. epic.blue currently serves the First Responder community and the Pharmaceutical and Industry 4.0 markets.

 

After the opening by the Head of Agency and keynote speeches by European Commission Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier and the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Claudio Graziano, attendees of EDA’s 2019 Annual Conference witnessed a lively and inspiring high-level strategic debate on the future of European defence featuring three Defence Ministers: François Bausch of Luxembourg, João Gomes Cravinho of Portugal, and Thomas Starlinger of Austria.

Moderated by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq, the debate showed a common understanding on the fact that all EU Member States' armed forces have a lot to gain from enhanced defence cooperation and a more coherent and integrated capability planning and development framework in Europe, both in terms of efficiency (cost savings) and interoperability. "We lack efficiency and could be much more effective and save money if we worked closer together", said Minister Bausch.

All the required tools for moving into that direction are now in place with the revised Capability Development Plan (CDP), the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Fund (EDF), "but the crucial task laying ahead of us now is to create a smooth and efficient workflow among them", including with the European Commission's new DG on Defence Industry & Space, "and to implement and use them in the right way", said Minister Starlinger. Three aspects are particularly important in this respect, the Austrian Defence Minister added: first, that Member States remain in the driving seat when it comes to prioritisation of the defence capabilities needed; second, that we don't reinvent the wheel and, instead, use the tools, processes and assets we have already in place; and third, that we ensure there is coherence among the various EU defence initiatives and the actors driving them.

Portuguese Minister Gomes Cravinho thought that the successful setting up of CARD, PESCO and the EDF showed that the EU was "on the right track" at a technical level.On the political level, however, more needs to be done to move towards a more common defence policy in Europe, he stressed. The need for progress on the political level, especially with a view to shaping a common defence policy, was highlighted by all participants. Things are moving into the right direction with the new EU tools which show that, in the capability domain, "we are going from a national, industrial driven process to a multilateral, European approach", said Minister Starlinger.

The three Ministers also agreed that EU defence cooperation was in no way directed against NATO,"which will remain the cornerstone of our collective defence" as Minister Bausch put it, but that, on the contrary, a stronger European defence will also strengthen NATO. "NATO's efficiency will also rely on how successfully EU countries can strengthen their respective defences", said the Luxembourg Minister.

Asked what the most urgent next steps would be in order to move the Europe of Defence forward, the three Ministers agreed once more: it is the need to develop a common defence policy in Europe which goes beyond purely national interests, "because no country alone can face the new challenges ahead of us". 
 

More information:

• Welcome speech by EDA Chief Executive Jorge Domecq
• Speech by Michel Barnier (European Commission Chief Negotiator)
• Speech by General Claudio Graziano, Chairman of EU Military Committee