In an era marked by escalating geopolitical tensions—Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, instability across the Middle East and North Africa, and shifting U.S. commitments under a potential second Trump presidency—Europe faces a critical imperative to fortify its defense architecture. This policy brief, authored by a distinguished ALCIDE Working Group of legal scholars, historians, economists, political scientists, and former policymakers, revives the conversation around the European Defence Community (EDC). Published in 2025 by the Dublin European Law Institute (DELI) at Dublin City University, the document draws on the EDC’s 1952 treaty as a foundational blueprint for deeper integration, emphasizing supranational structures to achieve strategic autonomy while maintaining NATO ties.
The EDC, signed by six founding states (Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands) but never fully ratified due to French parliamentary opposition, proposed a unified European army with shared forces, budget, and institutions. This report argues that reviving it—legally feasible through ratification by France and Italy—could address Europe’s current fragmentation, from inefficient procurement to veto-prone decision-making. It outlines the EDC’s core features, historical context, benefits (e.g., democratic accountability and industrial efficiency), challenges (e.g., nuclear integration and EU alignment), and alternatives, urging a bold debate beyond piecemeal reforms. As Europe spends over 2% of GDP on defense yet lacks cohesion, this precedent offers a path to credible deterrence in a multipolar world.
