Arming Europe - Reconceptualizing European Defence Production

Europe is rearming, yet the significance of this shift remains difficult to gauge through traditional policy analysis and the EU governance nexus of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. This paper addresses the need for theoretical innovation by proposing reconceptualization as a distinct analytical framework. Moving beyond standard discursive institutionalism, this approach traces how policy fields undergo transformative change through the structural redefinition of their "telos" (purpose), boundaries, and legitimate roles. Empirically, the paper applies this framework to the post-2022 EU defence landscape, demonstrating that the field is being fundamentally redefined rather than merely adapted. We identify three critical shifts. First, the purpose of defence production is moving from an export-oriented economic asset to the sine qua non of strategic autonomy. Second, boundaries are radically expanding to encompass broader ecosystems, blurring lines between military, civilian, and dual-use technologies. Third, governance is evolving toward a novel model of "coordinated sovereignty". In this hybrid arrangement, Member States retain constitutional authority over the use of force but increasingly pool industrial agency and risk management with the European Commission. By interrogating these deep cognitive and material shifts, this paper offers an avenue of understanding the EU’s evolving identity, suggesting that recent developments may represent a durable departure from the "peace project" identity rather than a temporary crisis response.