Threatening both its caliphate project and its sources of funding, the series of military setbacks that the so-called Islamic State group (IS) as suffered for several months have called into question the group’s very existence. That is not to say that its offensive capabilities will be neutered – the organisation will remain able to employ ’low-cost‘ terrorist attacks to target civilians throughout the Middle East, Africa, Europe, America or Asia. In mobilising Member States to fight against terrorism, the European Parliament’s role is crucial. Individually, Member States have an important part to play in effectively implementing common decisions. Their varying levels of engagement, as well as the progress they have made in confronting the financing of terrorism and especially IS, should be considered. An annual reporting framework should be put into place to better evaluate the measures taken by both Member States and the Commission in this area.

Accéder à la publication

Un an après le Brexit, les Etats membres de l’Union européenne semblent sur le point de réveiller la « belle au bois dormant » de la défense européenne: la coopération structurée permanente, plus connue sous son acronyme anglais de PESCO. Ont-ils bien la même compréhension de l’objectif qu’il s’agit d’atteindre et les voies et moyens pour y parvenir, ou sont-ils seulement animés par la volonté de ne pas rester à la péripherie d’une sorte d’eurogroupe de défense en train de se constituer ? Quels sont, de façon péecise, les principaux points d’accord et de désaccord entre les différents groupes qui se dessinent au sein du Conseil européen ? Des débats ont-ils été passés sous silence, volontairement ou involontairement, et si oui lesquels ? Enfin, quels sont les scénarios souhaitables pour les mois et les années à venir ? Est-il encore temps de changer les choses ou bien les dés ont-ils déjà été lancés? La présente étude ambitionne de répondre à ces questions.

Accéder à la publication

The aim of the workshop was to provide an overview of the EU arms export control system as well as options for improvement. The main speaker, Dr Sibylle Bauer, Director of the Dual-Use and Arms Trade Control Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), provided a brief overview of the main elements of the EU Common Position 2008/944/CFSP and then focused on aspects related to strengthening implementation of the eight criteria of the Common Position, the enhancement of compliance with the reporting obligation by Member States, possible ways to increase the transparency and public scrutiny of the export control framework and the development of the EU’s institutional framework in this context. Her presentation was followed by a debate involving members of the Security and Defence Committee of the European Parliament, the outcome of which may feed into the EP Annual Report on Arms Export.

Accéder à la publication