Re-energising Europe’s Security and Defence Policy

The international security situation today demands a concerted effort to revitalise the European Union’s Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Only cooperation amongst Europeans can eliminate the massive waste associated with the duplication of resources by Member States, and help transform Europe’s armed forces into modern militaries capable of contributing to global security. 2009 should be the year in which Europe’s leaders remake the case for a more active, capable, and coherent European contribution to global security.

Currently, Bulgaria is among the five EU member states that spend more than 2% of GDP on defence, however, it deploys less than 1% of its military manpower in operations. The discussion should focus on Bulgaria’s vision for its future role in ESDP.