Strengthening Links Between European Union Space and Defence: Adopting a Combined Approach

For two decades, there has been an ongoing debate in the European Union (EU) on how to link space programmes with its security and defence policy and how to translate words into action. This article examines the approaches proposed by two interesting contributions to this debate. The first has been put forward by the EUISS and proposes a top-down institutional approach taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the EU's “Strategic Compass” process on security and defence. Thus, the case of a dedicated “EU Space and Defence Strategy” to be established is proposed. The second approach has been put forward by the French ARES Group and argues that a bottom-up approach can enhance a common strategic view better than top-down declarations. By highlighting the possibility of funding for the development of military space capabilities by the European Defence Fund, the authors argue that the Commission's European secure connectivity project can be an ideal test case for the EU member states to blend their national capabilities with those of the EU. This article contributes to this debate by examining both arguments. It compares them with work done from 2002 to 2006, which was intended, according to a 2004 Council decision “to serve as a reference for future proceedings in the field of military capacities”. This analysis differs from the EUISS argument in that it proposes an update of the 2007 EU Space Policy to redefine the Common Security and Defence Policy goals first. Regarding the ARES Group, a bottom-up approach analysis validates the communication needs and their hierarchy, thus concluding that if implemented, it can be a timely solution in the Permanent Structured Cooperation framework. The analysis suggests that a relevant combined cooperative process in the Common Security and Defence Policy domain can give the EU time to examine the space implications of the Russia–Ukraine conflict and to establish its space vision for the European Defence Union.