The Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU has shown that serious decisions on European security and defence still need to be made.

Europe as a region has 1.7 million troops, and the second highest level of regional defence spending in the world. Yet it lacks the capacity to manage and coordinate these forces as a whole. Ben Tonra looks at how Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU has helped to move forward the discussion on European security and defence, ahead of the European Council summit in December. He argues that, in light of the need for Europe to take a larger role in international security, Member States’ national defence ministries should be better connected to EU policy and decision making.