Institutionalising defence production: reconceptualising the role of institutions and states in European defence industrial policy

This article analyses how questions about European defence production efforts have been institutionalised at the European Union level, and it does so by drawing on the academic literature on the interplay between intergovernmentalism and supranationalism in the domain of EU defence industrial policy. The creation of financial tools such as the Security Action for Europe and the European Defence Industrial Programme has only sharpened the focus on the role of institutions such as the European Commission and the strategies of member states. Looking specifically at initiatives such as the EDIP, SAFE and the revised SGP rules for defence, this article assesses the relationship between the European Commission and member states through the theoretical lenses of supranationalism and intergovernmentalism. The article looks at how EU funding schemes and regulations uncover how the Commission and member states balance concerns about national sovereignty, economic competitiveness and European integration.