The European Air Transport Command: A Viable Model for Promoting European Military Cooperation? EU Diplomacy Paper 08/2016
This paper begins with the observation that the top down model of defence cooperation adopted for the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union seems to be in a crisis. It then asks if there are alternative models available, arguing that one is represented by smaller, bottom up initiatives such as the European Air Transport Command (EATC) By looking at the EATC, this paper shows that this type of initiatives provide a positive impact on the CSDP because they improve the overall level of European defence capabilities and because they show that it is possible for European countries to develop defence cooperation initiatives that are both efficient and effective. The EATC's small scale sectoral cooperation presents several advantages, the main ones being an easier decision making process and a higher possible level of ambition, but on the other hand such a model restricts both the number of countries and the size of the impact that it can have. By identifying the key characteristics of the EATC model, this paper tries to determine the areas where the EATC could expand, and those where its business model could be successfully replicated. It argues that the best candidates are domains that combine constancy of use and low political sensibility, such as training or surveillance.