PeSCo: The Dutch Perspective

Traditionally, the Netherlands has relied more on Atlantis than on Europa for its security and defence. American participation is deemed crucial for guaranteeing European security. Therefore, NATO remains the ‘cornerstone’ of the nation’s security policy. Defence cooperation in the European Union, starting at the turn of the century, received lukewarm support. Certainly, the Netherlands contributed to several military CSDP operations, but with limited amounts of military personnel – contrasting heavily with the country’s sizeable participation in NATO’s ISAF operation in Afghanistan. The European Defence Agency was activated during the Netherlands Presidency in the second semester of 2004. The first EDA Ministerial Steering Board was held back-to-back with the EU Informal Defence Ministers meeting in Noordwijk, a seaside resort north of The Hague. In the following years the Dutch participated in a high number of the projects and programmes, but with regard to the Agency’s role and related budget and staff, The Hague was rather cautious. In short, the Netherlands supported CSDP, but not wholeheartedly…