Berlin Policy Journal

European Intervention Initiative: The Big Easy

Alice Billon-Galland,
Martin Quencez
The French-led European Intervention Initiative (E2I), set up outside both the NATO and EU frameworks, is meant to represent another step toward a more effective European defense strategy.

The French-led European Intervention Initiative (E2I), set up outside both the NATO and EU frameworks, is meant to represent another step toward a more effective European defense strategy. Primarily a military-to-military “strategic workshop,” it’s not intended to become a separate intervention force but rather to help participating states better anticipate future crises and plan operational cooperation together.

The European Intervention Initiative (E2I), outlined by French President Emmanuel Macron during his September 2017 Sorbonne speech, will take a more concrete form this November following the ministerial meeting and Military European Strategic Talks (MEST) setting the political guidance and technical processes. So far, nine countries—Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom—have signed a Letter of Intent, and others may soon join.