DoD and European Defence Agency sign cooperation pact in support of shared military interests

BELFAST — The US Department of Defense (DoD) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) this week reached a new agreement designed to provide a framework for transatlantic cooperation on shared defense issues covering supply chains, military mobility, climate change and information exchange.

The signing of the Administrative Arrangement (AA) by Pentagon acquisition chief Bill LaPlante and EDA chief executive Jiři Šedivý in Brussels looks to be a step towards the US and European Union (EU) moving past longstanding disagreements over protectionist measures designed to keep European defense trade flowing to European companies, rather than their American competitors.

The AA specifically opens the way for the DoD to participate in “relevant” meetings of the EDA’s Steering Board, while EDA members can also attend DoD meetings. Additionally, the AA allows US participation in the open session of the European Defence Standardisation Committee (EDSC), according to the EDA. First launched in 2020, the EDSC coordinates member states efforts to improve European defense standardization.

“The arrangement confirms the value of a transatlantic partnership in security and defense to confront shared security challenges, and the importance of a stronger and more capable European defence that is complementary to and interoperable with NATO,” said the EDA in a statement.

“The signature of the Administrative Arrangement with EDA is evidence of the strengthening U.S.-European Union relationship,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement. “DoD and EDA’s dedicated dialogue and engagement will further contribute to transatlantic and global security.  Russia’s aggression against Ukraine underlines the importance of strong U.S.-European ties in NATO and with the European Union. Deepening dialogue and cooperation will only strengthen this key strategic partnership moving forward.”

Consultations between the two parties on supply chain issues, military mobility, climate change and the impact of EU registration, evaluation, authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), cover a list of “initial activities” to be worked on. However, the EDA statement notes that an “understanding” had been reached with the DoD on the “initial scope of co-operation” which could be further developed in the future based on mutual consent.

Despite the good feelings in the announcement, Jorge Benitez of the Atlantic Council called the move “a positive step,” but only a small, incremental step forward.

“The two sides have agreed to more dialogue and consultations, but they have not reached agreement on the important question of whether the EU will allow some of the EDA funding for joint defense projects to go to US companies,” he told Breaking Defense. “Therefore, this new agreement is most notable for the lack of progress on this key issue for improving transatlantic defense cooperation and the urgent need to improve the defense capabilities of our European allies.”

The new AA represents another tangible example of deepening US and European ties amid their collective efforts to stop Russia’s war in Ukraine through military and financial aid to Kyiv, but US lawmakers continue to argue that many European countries are not spending enough on the cause and suggest more pressure from DoD officials should be applied to force them into higher spending.

“Some of the largest economies in Europe have contributed a pittance [to Ukraine] compared to the United States,” said Rep. Mike Waltz, R-NC., during a Wednesday House Armed Services Committee hearing.

In response Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, explained that the DoD continues to be “very concerned about [financial] burden sharing [with European partners]” but she noted that eight countries have contributed a “larger percentage of their GDP for security systems to Ukraine than the United States, Poland among them.”