Heading for application of the "Community method" to security and defence of the European Union by means of permanent structured cooperation?

Abstract

The Treaty of Lisbon, in line with the failed Constitutional Treaty and in the sequence of several initiatives which had taken place, came to provide for the mechanism of permanent structured cooperation. The goal of this mechanism is to enable the arising of a vanguard of Member States, eventually ready to form the embryo of a future European Union's exclusive defence system. Although permanent structured cooperation represents a step towards the application of the "community method" to security and defence of the European Union, it doesn't still fit in that pattern. Only future can tell, if permanent structured cooperation is likely to provide the European Union with a security and defence policy based on the "community method".  Artigo recebido em 09/09/2012 e aprovado para publicação pelo Conselho Editorial em 17/10/2012.  Docente da Universidade do Porto (Portugal). Doutorando em Derecho Internacional Público y Relaciones Internacionales na Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Espanha). Diploma de Estudios Aprofundizados (DEA) pela Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Espanha). Mestre em Direito (Integração Europeia) pela Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal). Diploma em Estudos Europeus (D.E.E.) pela Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal). Pós-Graduado em Estudos Europeus pela Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal). Licenciado em Direito pela Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal). E-mail: alaureano1@gmail.com.