Joint Statement

Inception of the Network of European Strategic Studies Institutions

Paris, September 28, 2021

On September 27, 2021, a meeting was held in Paris between 16 European strategic research institutes. For the most part closely linked or belonging to the defense institutions of their country, they wished to engage in exchanges and cooperation on a regular basis within the framework of a Network of European Strategic Studies Institutions (NESSI), the creation of which has been approved.

Recognizing the importance of further convergence of European strategic cultures, the strategic research institutes represented at this meeting agreed to:

-          Promote exchanges and cooperation between its members in order to contribute to the convergence of European strategic cultures;

-          Develop exchanges between its members, joint research projects and publications, exchange of researchers and the organization of academic events;

-          Hold  exchanges during the network’s meetings under the Chatham House Rule, while reflections and recommendations will be widely disseminated by mutual agreement in order to contribute to the European public debate on defense and security issues;

-          Organize on average one plenary meeting and one thematic workshop every year, under an annual rotating presidency, based on jointly approved terms of reference, which may be adapted as needed;

-          Open the network to other European strategic research institutes, in particular to those belonging or closely linked to the defense institutions of their country;

The participants thanked the Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l'Ecole Militaire (IRSEM) for having taken this initiative and agreed that Instituto da Defesa Nacional (Portugal) will assume the next presidency in 2022.

Participants in the network are:

National Defence Academy ((NDC – Austria), Centre for Security and Military Strategic Studies (CSMSS – Czech Republic), Royal Danish Defence College (RDDC – Denmark), International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS – Estonia), Institut de Recherche Stratégique de l’Ecole Militaire (IRSEM – France), German Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (GIDS – Germany), Institute for Strategic and Defense Studies (ISDS – Hungary), Istituto di Ricerca e Analisi della Difesa (IRAD – Italy), Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies (IFS – Norway), The Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM – Poland), Instituto da Defesa Nacional (IDN – Portugal), Institute for Political Studies of Defence and Military History (IPSDMH – Romania), Instituto Espanol de Estudios Estrategicos (IEEE – Spain), Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut (FOI – Sweden), Military Academy at ETH Zürich (Switzerland), Development Concepts and Doctrine Centre (DCDC – United Kingdom).