Following a proposal by Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission, as Head of the European Defence Agency, EDA Member States have decided unanimously to extend the initial three year mandate of Jorge Domecq as Chief Executive of the Agency for an additional two years, up to 1 February 2020.

Jorge Domecq leads the EDA since February 2015. Mr Domecq’s prolongation comes at a crucial time for EU defence in general, and for the European Defence Agency in particular. As the Agency is crucially involved in the practical implementation of all recent European defence initiatives – from the EU Global Strategy and its Implementation Plan to the European Defence Action Plan (EDAP) and the implementation of the EU-NATO Joint Declaration – Mr Domecq’s extension will provide the necessary continuity in EDA’s top team to make sure the Agency can play its role to the full.

The implementation of the EDA’s Long Term Review, which was set in motion by the Head of the Agency last autumn and that Ministers will consider at the 18 May Steering Board and the upcoming launch of the European Commission’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR), in which the EDA will play a central managing role through the signing of a delegation agreement with the Commission, are two additional challenges lying ahead of the Agency and its re-confirmed Chief Executive.