A Strategic Compass for Security and Defence

The Strategic Compass, approved by the Council of the European Union in March 2022, establishes a common strategic vision for the EU’s security and defence and sets concrete and wide-ranging objectives to achieve these goals in the coming 5-10 years.

After a contextual part based on the first-ever EU Threat Analysis, the Compass is organised in four areas, each followed by measurable objectives and timelines:

  • Act more quickly and decisively when facing crises;
  • Secure our citizens against fast-changing threats;
  • Invest in the capabilities and technologies we need;
  • Partner with others to achieve common goals.

Civilian CSDP is mentioned extensively in the Strategic Compass: across its 47 pages, the word “civilian" appears 66 times. The document also refers to the current and future civilian CSDP Compact, which should “allow for a faster deployment, also in complex environments”. Finally, themes such as the climate-security nexus are integrated into the Compass, with a section devoted to “resilience to climate change, disasters and emergencies”, and a paragraph touching on the CSDP missions' and operations’ footprint.

Reference: Council of the European Union (2022). A Strategic Compass for Security and Defence - For a European Union that protects its citizens, values and interests and contributes to international peace and security

Resource

PDF | 47 pages

Read the full EU document

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