By Wang Daning

王大宁

According to foreign media reports, the European Defence Agency (EDA), under the European Commission, announced on November 19 that several European countries had agreed to jointly launch multiple weapons R&D projects to promote closer defence cooperation.

据外媒报道，11月19日，欧盟委员会下属的欧洲防务局宣布，多个欧洲国家一致同意，将共同启动多个武器研发项目，以促进各国间更密切的防务合作。

According to EDA, groups of European countries have signed letters of intent to develop four schemes, namely air and missile defence, electronic warfare, loitering munitions and next-generation warships. Among them, Germany, France, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, and other countries signed up to cooperate on air defence. The EU's next-generation combat vessels will be put into service in batches in the 2040s.

根据欧洲防务局发布的消息，一些国家已就4项新武器研发项目签署意向书，分别是导弹防御系统、电子战装备、巡飞弹、下一代战舰。其中，德国、法国、意大利、塞浦路斯和卢森堡等国，已达成防空方面的合作协议；欧盟下一代战舰将于本世纪40年代批量服役。

Faced with warfare transformation as well as concerns that the US may reduce its security commitments to Europe, European countries have been steadily increasing their defence spending in recent years. The imminent return of Donald Trump as the US president has introduced greater uncertainty into US-European relations. The EU has called on its member states to change the way defense spending is allocated, advocating for joint development and procurement of weapons in order to achieve better cost-effectiveness and reduce fragmentation in the European defense market.

近年来，面对快速变化的作战模式，以及担心美国可能削减对欧洲安全的投入力度，欧洲国家不断增加防务开支。近期，美国候任总统特朗普即将“重返白宫”，给美欧关系带来更大不确定性。欧盟呼吁各成员国改变国防支出方式，联合起来共同研发和采购武器，以获得更高性价比，减少欧洲防务市场的分裂。

For a long time, due to internal divisions and external interference from the US, the progress of the EU defense integration has been relatively slow. Although the EU launched the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) mechanism in 2017 and established the European Defence Fund to finance multinational defense projects, the results have been underwhelming. The fragmentation and disorderly development of the defense industries among EU member states have only intensified. After conflicts erupted in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the EU began to accelerate its efforts toward defense integration and autonomy.

长期以来，囿于内部分歧和美国干预，欧盟防务一体化进展相对缓慢。尽管欧盟早在2017年即启动“永久结构性合作”机制，并设立“欧洲防务基金”用于资助跨国国防项目，但收效欠佳，欧盟各国国防工业的碎片化和无序发展态势有增无减。东欧和中东地区冲突相继爆发后，欧盟开始加快防务一体化与自主化步伐。

In October 2023, the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Establishing an Instrument for the European Defence Industry through Common Procurement (EDIRPA) came into force, urging member states to ensure that at least 65% of purchased products and their components come from within the EU. In March of this year, the EU released a package plan for the European defence industry, which includes the European Defense Industrial Strategy (EDIS) and the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). These documents outline a long-term vision and specific implementation measures aimed at strengthening and integrating Europe's defence technology and industrial base.

2023年10月，欧盟《共同采购法》生效，敦促成员国确保至少65%的采购产品及其零部件来自欧盟境内。今年3月，欧盟发布欧洲国防工业“一揽子计划”，其中的《欧洲国防工业战略》和《欧洲国防工业计划》，为强化和整合欧洲防务技术和工业基础，提出长期愿景并制订具体实施措施。

The newly launched cooperation projects mark the latest move in the EU's pursuit of defence integration, reflecting its determination to strengthen defence cooperation in critical areas and rapidly close the gap with international advanced standards. Taking the next-generation warships as an example, EU participating countries emphasized the need to focus on the significant changes in naval warfare dynamics, with designs that differ substantially from existing vessels. Meanwhile, specific performance indicators should also see significant improvements.

本次新启动的合作项目，是欧盟近年来追求防务联合的最新动向，折射出欧盟正决意在关键性领域加强防务合作，以尽快缩小与国际先进水平的差距。以下一代战舰为例，欧盟参与国强调，要着眼海战格局的剧烈变动，在设计上与现有舰艇差距较大；在具体性能指标方面也应有大幅提升。

The EU's efforts to strengthen cooperation among member states in key defense areas are still constrained by various practical factors. EU member states often prioritize their own national security needs and industrial interests in defense matters, which in turn affects the allocation and utilization of resources. This is also a key reason for the delayed progress of some projects under the framework of the PESCO mechanism. Governments of member states also need to balance the expectations of domestic voters for social welfare spending with the collective defense goals of the EU. More importantly, the US remains wary of the independent tendency of European military-industrial supply chains, and has repeatedly intervened in such developments.

欧盟试图推动各成员国在关键防务领域强化合作，仍受到诸多现实因素制约。欧盟成员国在防务问题上往往优先考虑本国安全需求和工业利益，以致影响资源分配和利用。这也是“永久结构性合作”机制框架下一些项目推进滞后的重要原因。各成员国政府还需平衡“国内选民对民生福利投入的期望”与“欧盟共同防务目标”之间的关系。更重要的是，美国对欧洲军备及军工供应链的独立倾向存有戒心，屡屡出手干预。