European Defence Integration: The First Phase and Its Legacy, The Impact of the Pre-Lisbon (1999–2009) M&A Wave on Europe’s Contemporary Defence Architecture

Authors : Mahmut Şener

Pages : 115-148

View : 41 | Download : 89

Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This article examines the first wave of corporate mergers in the European defence industry during the period in which the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), institutionalised in 1999, was fully incorporated into the EU’s legal framework and renamed the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. The central research question asks: to what extent did these mergers and acquisitions (M&A) support the European Union’s pursuit of strategic autonomy and its emergence as a global security actor? M&A are understood not only as economic and technological processes but also as mechanisms of identity and norm construction at the EU level. Methodologically, the study employs a literature review, case studies of BAE Systems, EADS/Airbus, Thales and MBDA, and a comparative analysis of strategic cultures in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The findings indicate that mergers between 1999 and 2009 enhanced innovation, efficiency and partial Europeanisation, yet their overall impact remained constrained by divergent national strategies and protectionist practices. Overall, these mergers strengthened the EU’s security integration while underscoring the enduring influence of national strategic cultures.
Keywords : Avrupa Savunma Sanayi, Birleşme ve Satın Almalar (M&A), İnşacılık, Stratejik Kültür, Stratejik Özerklik, Avrupa Güvenliği.

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