EU Defence Cooperation Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO)

Introduced by the Lisbon Treaty on (article 42.6, 46 and Protocol 10), the PESCO is a framework and process to deepen defence cooperation between those EU Member States, who are capable and willing to do so. 25 EU Member States have joined PESCO and subscribed to more binding commitments to invest, plan, develop and operate defence capabilities more together, within the Union framework.

The objective is to jointly arrive at a coherent full spectrum of defence capabilities available to Member States for national and multinational (EU, NATO, UN, ... ) missions and operations. This will enhance the EU’s capacity as an international security actor, contribute to the protection of the EU citizens and maximise the effectiveness of defence spending. The key difference between PESCO and other forms of cooperation is the legally binding nature of the commitments undertaken by the 25 Member States which participate in PESCO. The list of ambitious and more binding common commitments undertaken by each of the participating PESCO contains 20 individual commitments, split into the five key areas set out by art.2 of Protocol N°10 on PESCO annexed to the Lisbon Treaty.

PESCO projects

An initial list of 17 projects to be developed under PESCO was adopted by the Council on 6 March 2018. A second batch of 17 projects to be developed under PESCO was adopted by the Council on 19 November 2018. And finally, a third batch of 13 additional projects to be developed under PESCO was adopted by the Council on 12 November 2019. One PESCO project from the first batch has been officially closed by its project members.

Each of the projects is carried forward by varying group of PESCO participating Member States, project members and is coordinated by one or more PESCO participating Member States, project coordinators. The project members may agree among themselves to allow other participating Member States to join as a project member or to become observer to the project. Hereafter is an overview of all 46 projects that are being developed in the context of PESCO and covering areas such as training, land, maritime, air, cyber, and joint enablers.

PESCO PROJECTS

TRAINING, FACILITIES

• European Training Certification Centre for European Armies (ETCCEA) • Helicopter Hot and High Training (H3 Training) • Joint EU Intelligence School (JEIS) • EU Test and Evaluation Centres (EUTEC) • Integrated European Joint Training and simulation Centre (EUROSIM) • EU Cyber Academia and Innovation Hub (EU CAIH) • Special Operations Forces Medical Training Centre (SMTC) • CBRN Defence Training Range (CBRNDTR) • European Union Network of Diving Centres (EUNDC)

LAND, FORMATIONS, SYSTEMS

• Deployable Military Disaster Relief Capability Package (DM-DRCP) • Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle / Amphibious Assault Vehicle / Light Armoured Vehicle (AIFV/AAV/LAV) • Indirect Fire Support Capability (EuroArtillery) • EUFOR Crisis Response Operation Core (EUFOR CROC) • Integrated Unmanned Ground System (UGS) • EU Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) Land Battlefield Missile Systems (EU BLOS)

MARITIME

• Maritime (semi) Autonomous Systems for Mine Countermeasures (MAS MCM) • Harbour and Maritime Surveillance and Protection (HARMSPRO) • Upgrade of Maritime Surveillance (UMS) • Deployable Modular Underwater Intervention Capability (DIVEPACK) • Maritime Unmanned Anti-Submarine System (MUSAS) • European Patrol (EPC)

AIR, SYSTEMS

• European Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems – MALE RPAS (Eurodrone) • European Attack Helicopters TIGER Mark III • Counter Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) • Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA)

ENABLING, JOINT

• European Medical Command (EMC) • Network of Logistic Hubs in Europe and Support to Operations (NetLogHubs) • (MM) • Energy Operational Function (EOF) • Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Surveillance as a Service (CBRN SaaS) • Co-basing • Geo-meteorological and Oceanographic (GeoMETOC) Support Coordination Element (GMSCE) • Timely Warning and Interception with Space-based TheatER surveillance (TWISTER) • Materials and components for technological EU competitiveness (MAC-EU) • EU Collaborative Warfare Capabilities (ECoWAR) • European Global RPAS Insertion Architecture System (GLORIA)