The current legal base and governance structures of the EU’s defence activities: ENGAGE Working Paper 4.1

This Working Paper explores the current legal basis and governance structures of the CSDP and other areas with defence implications. It provides a summary of ground rules to address the boundaries of enhancing the functioning of the CSDP and reveal the possibilities that are offered by the existing legal framework. The paper emphasises that the current Treaty framework allows the use of the so-called “sleeping beauties”, including the potential use of Article 44 of the Treaty on European Union. The latter may contribute to achieve the EU’s strategic objectives by allowing a group of Member States to perform a task in the EU’s interest. The paper also highlights recent actions taken to increase defence collaborations and industrial activities, both expected to increase coordination and effectiveness of the EU defence policy and to foster competitiveness of the European defence industry.