The Making of a Strategy: The European Union and Maritime Security, 2000-2025.

The return of naval warfare to Europe's strategic periphery marks a critical juncture in the European Union's maritime security evolution. This chapter from my current book project examines Operation Aspides, the EU's fourth naval mission launched in February 2024 to counter Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, as a defining moment that signals the Union's shift toward more assertive maritime behaviour. Drawing on multilingual document analysis, elite interviews in Brussels and national capitals, and quantitative mission data, this study reconstructs the diplomatic and military discussions spanning over six months that preceded Aspides' launch. The analysis reveals how the mission unfolded against a tense political backdrop marked by Spain's veto on extending Operation Atalanta and mounting pressure on the EU to respond decisively to escalating threats against commercial vessels. The adoption of UN Security Council resolutions in January 2024 provided the necessary legal mandate, enabling consensus-building among deeply divided member states. This research argues that Aspides represents a profound transformation in EU maritime strategy: from reactive crisis management to proactive defence of strategic interests in an era of renewed great-power competition. Unlike previous missions focused on piracy or migration, Aspides confronts state-sponsored threats to critical sea lines of communication, demanding sustained combat readiness and robust rules of engagement. By examining this case study, the paper demonstrates how external shocks, intergovernmental bargaining, and evolving strategic culture have collectively reshaped the EU's maritime posture, with significant implications for understanding the Union's role in a changing world.