The European Union's use of contractors in security and defence: blazing its own path of institutional change?

ABSTRACT

The rise of global power competition raises unique challenges for the European Union (EU) as it seeks to reconcile its security and defence aims with those of its encompassing member states while confronting both new and old types of warfare and threats on various geopolitical fronts. In this context, our study examines the role of contractors in the EU's approach to security and defence. Using new institutionalism, the study analyses changes to structure, personnel, and environment that empower and hamper the EU as it aims to enhance its capacity and role using contractors. The study finds that while organisational pressures push the EU to follow a path similar to the US in its security and defence outsourcing, the EU is charting its own path of organisational change and customising its use of contractors to align with its institutional values, mission, and processes for global engagement in security and defence.

KEYWORDS:

• Contractors
• private military and security companies
• European Union
• military outsourcing
• new institutionalism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This study uses the term “contractors” to refer to the various organisations working on contract to fulfil various functions in military, security, stabilisation, and peacekeeping for the EU. Notably, a number of different terms are used to refer to such contractors, including terms like Private Military and Security Companies, Private Military Companies, and mercenaries. These terms vary in their accuracy and stigmatisation. As research by Batka (2023b) points out, the term “private” evokes secrecy, and the terms “military” and “security” do not always reflect the nature of the hiring entity or the direct function. Notably, the EU does not hire contractors to perform military functions. And while the EU uses the terms PSCs and PMSCs to refer to some of its contractors (see Bailes and Holmqvist 2007 and European Parliament 2017), it is important to point out that “private” is not accurate in some cases, since contractors also work for state-owned companies and partially-state funded organisations. Thus, this article uses “contractor” as an umbrella term to refer to the full spectrum of organisations hired on contract to provide defence support, security functions, and technical and logistical services. This includes both armed and unarmed contractors providing a range of defence and security functions for the EU. This is also in line with a key EU document with guidelines on contracting, i.e. the EEAS’s (2014) report, EU Concept for Contractor Support to EU-led military missions.

2 The Lisbon Treaty, Article 21 states that

The Union's action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, and which it seeks to advance in the wider world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Slovak Research and Development Agency (Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja), project number: APVV-21-0404