Video conference of foreign affairs ministers (defence), 16 June 2020

Main results

EU ministers of defence held a video conference, chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, to discuss the EU security and defence agenda.

Today we agreed to launch the development of a Strategic Compass to translate our level of ambition on security and defence agreed in 2016 into more concrete policy orientations.

Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Ministers first discussed how to strengthen the EU operational engagement, touching on:

• the redeployment of military personnel of training missions, with a view to the gradual resumption of their activities
• the need to enhance the strength of EU military missions and operations through force generation
• the importance of setting up an effective European Peace Facility before the end of the year

Ministers then exchanged views on how to take forward EU defence initiatives like the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the development of an EU Strategic Compass.

Finally ministers discussed the issue of the financial means necessary to implement the EU security and defence initiatives, with a focus on the European Defence Fund, Military Mobility and the European Peace Facility.

European Defence Agency Steering Board

The video conference of defence ministers was preceded by a steering board of the European Defence Agency.

• European Defence Agency (press release 16 June 2020)