Within the space of five years, the European Union has moved from rhetoric to action in matters of security and defence. Operational capacities have been planned, deployed and tested. Military missions have been launched in the Balkans and in Africa. More than 50,000 troops from EU member states are deployed on peacekeeping missions. These actions are guided by a European security strategy that seeks a secure Europe in a better world. Matching our defence capabilities to our ambitions and obligations will be a key challenge in the years ahead.

European leaders have unanimously defined the task. It is to transform their militaries into more flexible, mobile forces and enable them to address new threats. That means spending more or spending better. Now, we struggle to sustain less than 5 per cent of our overall military manpower on vital peace-support tasks. This seems a poor return on the €160bn ($201bn) that the member states between them spend on defence each year. So today in Brussels, EU defence ministers will not only review current military operations. Crucially, as board members of the European Defence Agency, they will also consider how Europe can ensure that a strong defence sector can equip its militaries with the necessary capabilities in the decades to come.