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Pooling and sharing? Who wants to renovate my hut in the garden

(BRUSSELS2, reflection) Listening to the various experts talk about pooling and sharing - as was the case at the Weimar seminar in July in Paris or on various other occasions - one gets the impression that there are few States - and people - to have become aware of the paradigm shift that this new crisis is forcing us to do.

I remember a small debriefing meeting of an economic council, where a very intelligent diplomat explained in great detail that the crisis was temporary, that it would be stabilized in 2009 and that the indicators would go up in 2010 or 2011. I had told her of my astonishment... She had laughed. I have the impression that this phenomenon of blissful confidence is still present in defense. States are ready to cooperate, but only on their projects.

Basically, it's as if I came to ask you to please fix up my old cabin that I have in my garden. And, if possible, to lend me new tools or in good condition (because mine are a little used). I promise to lend them to you from time to time. But if you don't have a garden... you don't care. In terms of pooling and sharing, we are there today. Instead of consolidating the main house, we are looking to renovate its "garden huts".

Without wanting to build a common army (too complex...), it is a question of pooling the modules necessary for a common defense: satellites, means of projection, medical support, training... By anticipating the needed in 5 or 10 years, and not what was needed today. By having a global view of the needs, and not by looking for one or two quick "tricks" to put in place. By looking for ways to accelerate this pooling. Because even if the reconciliations are complex, and take time, we cannot afford today to spend 5 years building a project. There is no shortage of competent people and teams in the various ministries of defence. We can, without skipping the steps, accelerate the movement. This is a question of major political momentum.

At the rate of budget cuts in defense ministries, there will soon be only paper armies, just good enough to march through European cities in peace, to act as auxiliaries in the event of a terrorist threat or natural disaster... to be cut to pieces in Afghanistan, the only last major theater of operations where European armies are engaged.

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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