Seminar dedicated to the review of the Coordination of Defense Coordination Process (CARD) - Main contents

The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest held a seminar dedicated to the revision of the Coordinated Annual Review on Defense (CARD) methodology at European Union level, from 19 March to 20, 2019.

The event, organized by the Defense Staff through the Strategic Planning Directorate, brought together experts from EU i Member States, representatives of the European Defense Agency (EDA) and the EU Military Staff (EUMS), as well as members of the EU Military Committee (EUMC).

In his opening speech, major-general Vasile Toader, the deputy head of the Chief of Defense for Operations and Training, underlined the importance of the workshop: “The CARD has the potential to provide a real picture of the development of EU capabilities and to look forward for innovative solutions in the field of multinational cooperation. This seminar is a forum for open discussions, exchange of experience, guidance on the adjustment of the CARD methodology so that we can complete the first full cycle in the autumn of 2019. The role of the Member States is crucial and, given staffing constraints, the process has to be simple, efficient, and avoid duplication with similar NATO i-led actions.”

“The Romanian Presidency of the EU Council continued the positive approach of the Austrian Presidency to the EU Council and, together with the European Defense Agency (EDA), organized a workshop for the first complete cycle of the CARD methodology. The coherence of these initiatives - the review of the EU’s capability development priorities, CARD projects and PESCO - are key to achieving a coherent image of European defense capabilities. CARD provides the participating Member States the tools to enhance cooperation between national defense plans from a European perspective and systematic engagement in joint defense. The first fully-developed CARD cycle will begin in September 2019, based on the methodology to be set in June and aims at finalizing the first European Defense Agency report by autumn 2020”, said Martin Konertz, Director of the Capabilities, Arms and Technology Department of the The European Defense Agency, in the opening speech of the workshop.

The seminar is part of a series of activities that contribute to the fulfillment of the priorities assumed by Romania during its Presidency of the EU Council.

Among Romania’s priorities of the six-months mandate are the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), which will aim at strengthening initiatives to develop EU defense capabilities, promote active use of the practical dimension of NATO-EU partnership, capitalizing, in the context of the transatlantic dialogue, on cooperation opportunities generated by CSDP development and increasing the role and credibility of the EU as a regional and global actor in security and defense matters.