The Untapped Role of the European Parliament in Common Security and Defence Policy

In recent years, security and defence have emerged as prominent fields of European Union (EU) integration, notably after the Russian aggression against Ukraine. However, the formal role of the European Parliament (EP) has not adapted to this evolving landscape. The intergovernmental structure of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) persists unchanged, restricting the EP’s formal role on many defence dossiers. As CSDP activities grow amidst current geopolitical dynamics, questions arise about the alignment of limited parliamentary prerogatives with the EU principles of democracy, sincere cooperation, and institutional balance. This article contends that, rooted in the EU’s democratic foundation, the EP holds an ex ante and ex post scrutiny role in CSDP that goes beyond what is generally realised in practice and assumed in the literature. Crucial in this context is the institution’s entitlement to the timely provision of comprehensive information in relation to security and defence matters, which is indispensable for effective democratic scrutiny in this policy area.