Pesco military alliance: Brussels wants to give the green light for the US to join the EU defense initiative

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At their next meeting on May 6th, the EU defense ministers will not only have Europe in their sights: As several informed EU diplomats unanimously reported to WELT, a new decision should include the USA and Norway at the same time in European defense policy.

All three countries want to participate in a project to improve the mobility of military personnel and material within the EU as part of the Pesco European defense initiative (“Permanent Structured Cooperation”).

The aim of this project is to improve the defense capabilities of the West.

The background: Washington - like Canada and Norway - officially applied for participation in the multi-billion euro mobility project within the EU a good two weeks ago.

The improvement of military mobility in Europe is one of a total of 46 Pesco projects at the moment.

The first have been running since March 2018.

The goal of Pesco is to significantly improve the EU's ability to act in security and defense policy and to close so-called capability gaps in order to be able to play an effective role on the global stage.

Germany and France played a key role in initiating the initiative in 2017.

The key to a more efficient EU defense policy should be close cooperation between the members.

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Above all, the Europeans want to prevent duplication, fragmentation and costly competition in the European arms industry.

At the same time, one wants to make the military equipment and the armed forces more compatible.

Since December 2020, third countries can also participate in Pesco.

Almost every member country coordinates a specific Pesco project, in which a different number of countries can participate.

Germany even coordinates six projects.

These include the establishment of a European medical command, an initiative to improve the EU countries' ability to respond to crises and the installation of a Europe-wide network of so-called logistics hubs to be able to move troops and materials quickly.

The Netherlands, in turn, is coordinating the project to improve military mobility, in which the USA, Canada and Norway now want to participate.

In the opinion of the EU and NATO, the project is one of the most important measures of all in European defense policy.

24 EU countries are working on it.

Should it actually succeed in the coming years to facilitate the transport of troops and material within Europe through investments worth billions in bridges, roads and rail traffic as well as the dismantling of intergovernmental bureaucracy when issuing drive-through permits, this would significantly improve the operational readiness of the western troops .