Armament policy of the European Union and European defence industry

The changes in the European security landscape had dramatic consequences for the European Union. European security, which was a matter of necessity and set up against a single common threat understanding during the Cold War, has now become a matter of voluntary national choice. The Kosovo Crisis was the most siginificant factor that effected or activated the evolution of ESDP. The Kosovo Crisis had played a curical role over responding unanimously and building up all the necessary instruments within the EU for ending the crises. After establishing the bodies of ESDP, military operations have started in distant regions of the world as well as in the periphery of the EU. In this respect, the EU had started to make an armaments policy to use this military capacity effectively. The EU, who wants to fill the capability gaps with adequate equipments and professional troops, knows that this must be achieved via the defence Industry. Responses of the industry to the every phase of the armaments policy, brighten the process towards this aim. The development of the industry will turn out to the advantage of the armaments policy. The firms in the defence industry have also become ambitious to the cross-border mergers both on behalf of their interests and parallel to the EU's aim.