Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 08/2013

Armaments duplication in Europe: A quantitative assessment

Valerio Briani

July 2013

Centre for European Policy Studies

Abstract

Effectively addressing the issue of duplication in Europe’s defence systems will require a considerable amount of political will and, more importantly, a far-sighted vision of the way to go. Difficult choices will have to be made, and EU member states will have to invest in a complex exercise of coordination of defence and industrial policies and planning. However, the efficient management of EU defence budgets and the maintenance of a viable industrial base demand such efforts. After all, what is at stake is the EU’s ability to guarantee its own security.