Significant steps

Significant steps of the European co-operation of defence and armaments

The co-operation between European partners, as regards defence, was formalised until the 1990s on a primarily bilateral basis, or within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), or in some dedicated organisations such as the WEU* (Western European Union).

It should be noted that the European Economic Community (EEC), before its transformation within the broader framework of the European Union in 1993, did not cover the field of defence.

From the 1990s on, one observes a very clear development of the European defence, outside of the framework of the Atlantic Alliance and of the State to State bilateral relations:

  setting-up of the co-operations between the European forces,

  creation of a pillar within the European Union devoted to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)*,

  creation of the WEAG* (Western European Armament Group),

  creation of the l’Organisation de Coopération Conjointe en matière d’Armement (OCCAR ),

  establishment of the LoI* (Letter of Intent) framework agreement.

(*): more information only available in French