L’Europa della difesa: cooperazione industriale, governance UE e pilastro europeo della Nato

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has fundamentally reshaped the European security landscape, exposing critical shortcomings in member states’ defence capabilities and accelerating efforts to strengthen the European Union’s defence policy. In response to an increasingly challenging international security environment, characterised by the persistent threat posed by Russia, intensifying geopolitical competition and growing uncertainty over the future of US engagement in European security, the EU has launched new initiatives to support the defence industry, promote joint investment and enhance cooperation among member states. Against this backdrop, the research project aims to analyse the evolution of European defence and assess the contribution that Italy can make to strengthening European and Euro-Atlantic security. The research is structured around two main strands: analysing the effectiveness of recent EU defence initiatives in enhancing defence capabilities and the European defence industrial base, and assessing their impact on cooperation with NATO and strategic partners such as the United Kingdom and Ukraine. Particular attention is devoted to promoting greater European integration in the field of defence and strengthening the European pillar of the Atlantic Alliance. The project adopts an integrated approach, examining the political, industrial and strategic dimensions of European defence, and seeks to develop policy recommendations to support Italy and the European Union in strengthening defence cooperation, enhancing Europe’s defence industrial capacity and reinforcing collective security in complementarity with NATO. As part of the project, a meeting entitled “L’Europa della difesa. Pilastro europeo della NATO e governance UE” was organised on 5 March 2026.

Finanziamento: Ministero degli Affari esteri e della Cooperazione internazionale, Fondazione CSF, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo