Research Article

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

Volume: 9 Number: 2 December 29, 2025
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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

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

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

European Union, European Studies, International Security, International Law

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

December 29, 2025

Submission Date

October 7, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 2, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 9 Number: 2

APA
Şener, M. (2025). 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. Bölgesel Araştırmalar Dergisi, 9(2), 115-148. https://izlik.org/JA77KY52XL
AMA
1.Şener M. 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. BAD. 2025;9(2):115-148. https://izlik.org/JA77KY52XL
Chicago
Şener, Mahmut. 2025. “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”. Bölgesel Araştırmalar Dergisi 9 (2): 115-48. https://izlik.org/JA77KY52XL.
EndNote
Şener M (December 1, 2025) 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. Bölgesel Araştırmalar Dergisi 9 2 115–148.
IEEE
[1]M. Şener, “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”, BAD, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 115–148, Dec. 2025, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA77KY52XL
ISNAD
Şener, Mahmut. “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”. Bölgesel Araştırmalar Dergisi 9/2 (December 1, 2025): 115-148. https://izlik.org/JA77KY52XL.
JAMA
1.Şener M. 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. BAD. 2025;9:115–148.
MLA
Şener, Mahmut. “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”. Bölgesel Araştırmalar Dergisi, vol. 9, no. 2, Dec. 2025, pp. 115-48, https://izlik.org/JA77KY52XL.
Vancouver
1.Mahmut Şener. 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. BAD [Internet]. 2025 Dec. 1;9(2):115-48. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA77KY52XL