The EU's strategic compass for security and defence: Just another paper?

Abstract

The EU decided to develop a "strategic compass" for its security and defence policy until 2022. Building on a common threat analysis, it should concretise the EU's level of ambition as a security provider. The strategic compass represents a real and timely opportunity, but there is also a risk of engaging in a lengthy and winding process that would simply produce another paper. This policy paper presents risks and opportunities and develops recommendations for both stages of the process.