OAFP 4885 - European Defence and Crisis Management : reality or myth ?

The Common Security and Defence Policy was launched in 1999. More than two and a half decades later – with war back on the European continent and the transatlantic bargain under renegotiation – it is time for a reality check.

Adopting a factual rather than a theoretical approach, the course proceeds in two parts. Part I takes stock of EU crisis management: the foundations of CSDP, its decision-making and financing mechanisms, and the record of its civilian and military missions and operations.

Part II examines the acceleration of the transformation under way since 2022: the strategic autonomy debate, the Europeanisation of NATO, and the EU’s emerging defence architecture – its industrial (EDIS, EDIP), financial (EDF, EPF, SAFE) and innovation (EUDIS) instruments. Has CSDP come of age: reality or myth?

Concretely, we will:

study the foundations and institutions of EU crisis management;

assess CSDP missions and operations and the EU’s role as a security provider;

interrogate strategic autonomy and the Europeanisation of NATO;

map the EU’s defence-industrial, financial and innovation instruments.

Good knowledge of the institutional framework of the European Union is a must: students not familiar with the European Union institutions and decision-making processes will not be able to properly follow classes.

Leaning process will be based on lectures, students’ presentations and debates. The methodology adopted is based on a very interactive approach between the professor and the students, who will be encouraged to openly express their views.

An indicative bibliography will be provided for each class to allow students to prepare appropriately to participate in class.

Lecturers must vary their assessment methods by including at least two different types of assessment during the semester.

Unless an exception is granted by the academic coordinator responsible for your course:

Assignments may not be based exclusively on work completed outside of class sessions, nor solely on group work.

Work completed outside of class sessions (which does not involve any face-to-face interaction or oral presentation assessed by the lecturer) may not account for more than 30% of the final mark.

40%: participation to a group presentation (15 to 20 min)

40%: targeted analysis of a civilian/military CSDP mission or other specific defence-related program (5 to 10 min)

20%: active contribution to class debates

Good knowledge of the institutional framework of the European Union is a must: students not familiar with the EU institutions and decision-making processes will not be able to properly follow classes.