European defense. Focus on the European Defence Agency

Abstract The purpose of this master’s degree thesis is to illustrate the complex landscape of defence in Europe, a theme that holds an increasingly important role in the academic milieu and public debate, and currently occupies a prominent position on the EU agenda. In the first chapter, the subject of European defence is addressed from a historical perspective from the end of the Second World War to 2003, providing a clear overview of the situation prior to the establishment of the European Defence Agency. This is the subject of in-depth analysis in the second chapter, which outlines its birth, structure, and practices, also observing its relationship with NATO. The third chapter tackles the topic of the European defence industry and the main issues characterizing it. Within chapters two and three, the current tools provided by the EU for defence (regulations and directives, funds, initiatives) are presented. To conclude the work, there is a section summarising the obtained results, which clearly indicates that in Europe, despite progressing rapidly from 2016 to the present, prompted by a geopolitically tense environment, there is still suffering due to limited collaboration. The research was conducted by analysing qualitative and quantitative data using an inductive approach. Data were gathered from archival and online sources, official documents, reports by leading experts, articles from periodicals, and books. Additionally, consultations were held with former members of the Italian army, university professors, and representatives from the defence industry during conferences and spring schools.