European Security and Defence Policy

Latest news about EU initiatives relating to a common security policy for Europe

African troops pledged for Mali mission start arriving — 17 January 2013, 19:39 CET

West African troops mobilised Thursday to join a French-led intervention force to stop the advance of Islamist rebels based in northern Mali.

EU partners may offer troops for Mali: France's Fabius — 17 January 2013, 18:09 CET

Some of France's EU partners are considering whether to offer troops to back up its military campaign in Mali against Islamist insurgents, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Thursday.

The role of the EU military mission to help Mali's army — 17 January 2013, 15:51 CET

The European Union has no defence force of its own and that is not about to change in Mali despite Thursday's decision to provide trainers for the Malian army.

EU agrees mission to train Mali army, funds for Africa force — 17 January 2013, 19:13 CET

EU foreign ministers have agreed to send military trainers for Mali's embattled army while funding an African-led intervention force and offering fresh help to France.

EU to speed up Mali mission at crisis talks — 15 January 2013, 16:12 CET

European Union foreign ministers are set to speed up the dispatch of an EU mission to train Mali's army and discuss how best to back up an African intervention force at extraordinary talks Thursday, diplomats said.

Ashton confirms Mali crisis talks this week — 14 January 2013, 23:11 CET

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Monday confirmed she had convened an extraordinary meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers to discuss the crisis in Mali.

Kaspersky finds 'Red October' virus targeting Eastern Europe — 14 January 2013, 23:16 CET

Kaspersky Lab says it has identified a new computer virus it dubbed "Red October" targeting eastern European countries that appeared to be collecting classified files using NATO and EU encryption.

World must prepare to step up Syria response: Britain — 10 January 2013, 14:47 CET

World powers will have to step up their response to the Syrian conflict if the violence worsens, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Thursday, warning that all options were on the table.

EU reiterates that Assad must 'step aside' — 07 January 2013, 17:51 CET

The European Union has reiterated that President Basahar al-Assad must step aside to allow a political settlement after the Syrian leader called for a national dialogue in a much-awaited speech in Damascus.

EU tightens noose on Iran with new sanctions — 21 December 2012, 19:25 CET

The EU has agreed new sanctions against Iran, adding 18 companies or institutions and one person to a blacklist aimed at forcing stalled talks on Tehran's contested nuclear drive to resume.

EU condemns Israel settler plans as threat to peace process — 20 December 2012, 08:37 CET

The European Union said it "strongly opposed" the latest "extremely troubling" Israeli plans for more settler homes around Jerusalem which would only further undermine the peace process.

US expects Romania to avoid 'replay' of political crisis — 15 December 2012, 11:34 CET

Washington expects strategic ally Romania to stick to its rule of law and IMF commitments in order to avoid a "replay" of the political crisis last summer, the US ambassador to Romania told AFP.

EU to take closer look at defence as costs soar — 14 December 2012, 16:50 CET

EU leaders said Friday they will look more closely at defence as a changing world and tight budgets force member states to cooperate in search of a bigger bang for their euros.

'Inaction' not option in Syria, says Cameron, EU 'appalled' — 14 December 2012, 16:59 CET

Doing nothing is not an option in Syria, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday as his European Union counterparts pledged to look at "all options" available to support the opposition and civilians.

EU funds frozen for Lithuanian nuclear decommissioning — 14 December 2012, 16:59 CET

European Union funding for the decommissioning of Lithuania's Soviet-era nuclear reactor has been frozen to raise pressure to wrap up talks on the operation.

Assad losing, must go as quickly as possible: France — 14 December 2012, 10:52 CET

Syrian leader President Bashar al-Assad is losing the fight against rebel forces and must be made to leave as quickly as possible, French President Francois Hollande said Friday.

EU praises new Mali PM but warns military against meddling — 12 December 2012, 17:16 CET

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Wednesday welcomed the naming of Mali's new premier Diango Cissoko as a man of consensus, while warning the Malian military against further meddling.

Sweden probes how its arms ended up in Myanmar — 12 December 2012, 11:58 CET

Sweden's export control agency said Wednesday it was investigating how Swedish-made weapons ended up in the hands of Myanmar soldiers in breach of European Union sanctions.

Nobel winners say Syria is 'stain' on world conscience — 10 December 2012, 15:59 CET

The European Union, winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, said at the award ceremony Monday that the conflict in Syria was "a stain" on the world's conscience.

International passivity boosts Syria jihadists: rebel envoy — 09 December 2012, 23:19 CET

Syria's rebel ambassador to France warned Sunday that the "passivity" of the international community was boosting the rise of Islamist extremists in his war-torn country.

EU foreign ministers to meet head of Syrian opposition — 07 December 2012, 13:27 CET

European Union foreign ministers will exchange views Monday with the leader of the newly-formed Syrian opposition coalition, EU officials said, as some EU member states pressed for the rebels to be armed.

Poland set to become last EU state to ratify landmine pact — 03 December 2012, 15:43 CET

Poland is set to become the final member of the European Union to join the Ottawa Convention banning landmines, organisers said as a global conference on the deadly weapons opened here on Monday.

EU urges Israel to annul massive settlement plan — 02 December 2012, 18:48 CET

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Sunday urged Israel to annul plans to build 3,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, saying it would be "an obstacle to peace".

Prototype of European combat drone makes maiden flight — 01 December 2012, 13:11 CET

A prototype of a European combat drone, the Neuron, made its maiden flight Saturday from a base in the south of France, project leader Dassault Aviation announced.

Angry Serbs burn EU flags after Kosovo ex-PM cleared — 30 November 2012, 17:17 CET

Angry Serb ultra-nationalists on Friday burned flags of the EU, US, NATO and Kosovo, protesting a UN court's acquittal of ethnic Albanian former rebel chief Ramush Haradinaj on charges of war crimes against Serbs.