EUMC Chairman's address to l'Ecole de Guerre (French War College)

"Two years after the adoption of the European Union Global Strategy and its Implementation Plan on Security and Defence, this is an occasion to take stock of progress and to look at perspectives for the future." The Chairman of the European Union Military Committee, General Caludio Graziano, stated starting his lecture to the Officers attending the 26 eme promotion de l'Ecole de Guerre.

Before focusing on developments in the European defence, General Graziano offered to the audience a comprehensive overview of the international environment, stressing that "Multidimensional and transnational threats are very difficult to handle without working together and military means is not the only response, and often not even the first option. We have to use all instruments at our disposal to manage these multi-facetted developments.".

"The European Union – the Chairman highlighted - was able to detect the signs of a changing geopolitical landscape in our neighborhood at an early stage. This triggered the High Representative to initiate a process that led to the EU Global Strategy. It sets out EU’s core interests and provides a collective sense of direction. Its ambition is to make Europe a stronger, more united and more influential actor on the world stage. The EU Global Strategy is the compass for our work and it sets the political level of ambition for our efforts."

"Building a stronger Europe is not an easy task. It cannot be achieved overnight and it certainly cannot be achieved without the investment of adequate resources. These include political capital, human capital, money and time. Persistence, patience and long-term planning should govern this endeavor. Continuity of effort should characterize it, keeping a steady eye on the agreed end-state for the EU Global Strategy: a Stronger Europe." General Graziano concluded.