Federal Council wants to participate in two EU defense projects
Published: Wednesday, Aug 21st 2024, 14:30
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Switzerland is to participate in the EU's "Military Mobility" and "Cyber Ranges Federation" projects for the joint development of defense capabilities. This is what the Federal Council wants. The aim is to expand the capabilities of the armed forces and increase their interoperability.
The national government approved participation in the two projects on Wednesday. These were launched as part of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco). The defense initiative was launched by the EU in 2017. The aim was to make the individual armed forces of the EU member states more compatible. Today, 26 out of 27 EU member states are participating in over 60 Pesco projects.
Third countries such as Switzerland may also participate in Pesco projects under certain conditions - for example, if they contribute "significant added value to the project", as stated in the corresponding resolution of the EU member states.
The "Military Mobility" project aims to simplify military mobility on European territory. This means that applications for cross-border transportation can be processed and approved within a few days in future.
The "Cyber Ranges Federation" project, in turn, aims to improve cooperation in the field of cyber defense. The computer simulation environments of several countries are to be linked for a more realistic training environment.
Switzerland's participation in the two projects is an expression of the intensification of security policy cooperation between Switzerland and the EU, as envisaged by the Federal Council in the 2024 report on deepening international cooperation between the armed forces, among other things. Switzerland expressed its interest in participating in Pesco around two years ago. Participation must still be submitted to the participating states and the Council of the European Union for approval.
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