Swedish Presidency Ambitions and ESDP

The Swedish Presidency of the EU has been promoting the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) during its six months at the centre of European politics.

The ongoing Swedish Presidency has presented a number of ESDP issues on which it would like to maintain momentum. Its ESDP priorities cover areas like capability development, increased coherence between crisis management instruments, ongoing operations, European armament cooperation and EU relations with other international organisations such as NATO and the UN. Of these areas, three key issues are characteristic for ESDP priorities, namely usability, capability and operations.The Swedish Presidency has primarily focused on improving existing ESDP instruments and structures rather than creating new ones. In line with its overall approach to the EU, and the Presidency in particular, Sweden seems to prize efficiency and usability rather than providing a more visionary leadership in the area of ESDP. These issues faithfully reflect Sweden’s practical approach to the EU and crisis management: ESDP is an instrument that needs to be developed and used.