Decision making

The Agency falls under the authority of the Council, to which it reports and from which it receives guidelines once per year.

The Steering Board, composed of the participating Member States' Defence Ministers plus a representative from the Commission (without voting rights), is EDA’s governing body. It represents the decision-making level in the capitals.

 EDA Steering Board in Ministers of Defence formation
May 2009 - Credit: Council EU

Each year, at least two Ministerial Steering Board meetings take place, plus several at sub-ministerial level: Capability Directors; National Armaments Directors and R&T Directors. The Ministerial Steering Board is chaired by the Head of the Agency, Ms. Catherine Ashton, and it usually takes place in Brussels, normally back-to-back with the half-yearly meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers’ formation.
Below the Steering Board level networks of Points of Contacts (POCs) exist to prepare the Steering Board meetings and to discuss subject matter in their specific areas: Central POCs (for the Ministerial Steering Board), Capability POCs, R&T POCs and NAD POCs. The Central POCs also deal with EDA organisational, institutional and budgetary matters.

Best of photos

EDA Steering Board in Ministers of Defence formation May 2009. Credit "Council of the EU"

Events

23 Feb 3rd MIDCAS stakeholder workshop WS3
28 Feb EMAR Implementation Workshop
06 Mar D-FUSE dissemination workshop
08 Mar Workshop on Operational...
08 Mar ESA / EDA 3rd User/Stakeholder...
Workshop on "Exploring Safe design and operations for the European Unmanned Maritime Systems” 2nd EDA Helicopter Tactics Symposium Multinational Helicopter Exercise HOT BLADE 2012 Multinational Helicopter Exercise GREEN BLADE 12 Press Day - ITALIAN CALL 11 Steering Board in Ministers of Defence formation EDA Steering Board in Ministers of Defence formation European Framework Cooperation (EFC) Workshop European Defence Conference 2011 Tactical Air Transport symposium Exercise Italian Call 2011 European Technology non-Dependence Conference Conference on Through-Life Management 1st EDA Helicopters Tactics Symposium Countering Improvised Explosives Devices (CIED) Basic Search Course Press briefing (Brussels) - IT CALL 2011 Industry Day on Route Clearance Consultation with Industry on Pooling & Sharing European High Level Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Conference Energy Supply for EU Crisis Management – Lessons Learned and Opportunities Identified Workshop - Technological Review and Assessment in the field of Naval Systems UPDATE - Second EDA Multinational Helicopter Exercise “AZOR 2010” EDA's Annual Conference: Refocusing Defence: a European perspective on Defence cooperation in a time of financial challenge