SSU Forum/GraSPP Research Seminar “The EU as a security actor – implications for the Japan-EU partnership”

On May 15, 2025, the Security Studies Unit (SSU) at the Institute for Future Initiatives, in conjunction with the Graduate School of Public Policy (GraSPP), hosted a policy dialogue featuring Tania Lațici, Political Officer to the Managing Director for Peace, Security and Defence at the European External Action Service. Ms. Lațici presented a keynote address analyzing the European Union’s evolution as a security actor and its strategic implications for the Indo-Pacific region. The presentation was followed by a substantive discussion with Dr. Ken Endo, Professor of Law and Politics at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Yee Kuang Heng, Director of SSU and faculty member at GraSPP, moderated the session, which concluded with an interactive engagement between the speakers and audience.

In her keynote speech, Ms. Lațici articulated three central arguments: (1) European and Indo-Pacific security environments are intrinsically linked, forming “one theatre” where conflicts have global ripple effects; (2) Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has catalyzed the EU’s transformation into a more robust security actor, evidenced by approximately $170 billion in support to Ukraine and a new European defense readiness paradigm; and (3) EU-Japan security relations have evolved into a strategic partnership focusing on concrete deliverables in areas including cyber diplomacy, maritime security, and soon possibly defense industry cooperation. Ms. Lațici concluded her remarks by emphasizing that defending the rules-based international order serves both regions’ interests in preventing “might makes right” principles from dominating global affairs.

Dr. Endo then joined the conversation. He contextualized European security integration challenges, noting they are structural rather than circumstantial, with European integration fundamentally dependent on U.S. security guarantees through NATO—parallel to Japan’s security relationship with the United States. He identified a potential contradiction where increased European military integration could heighten tensions between Eastern European NATO allies and Western European states seeking greater autonomy. Dr. Endo suggested “Europeanizing” NATO infrastructure as a potentially more effective approach than developing new EU military structures. On EU-Japan relations, he characterized the current period as a “golden age” with opportunities in defense procurement (particularly addressing Japan’s ammunition constraints) and potential EU engagement with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Dr. Heng contributed to the dialogue by examining the relationship between individual EU member states’ military activities in Japan and the comprehensive EU regional strategy. He noted the increasing presence of European naval forces in Japanese waters, specifically referencing recent deployments by Italian, German, and French vessels. Dr. Heng raised the question of how these sovereign military initiatives align with and complement the broader strategic framework established at the EU level.

Following Ms. Lațici’s responses, the audience was invited to pose questions. Ms. Lațici addressed a range of important subjects, such as the situation around nuclear deterrence in Europe, how the EU contributes to strengthening NATO, Germany’s evolving role in leading European security efforts, EU-Japan defense industry cooperation, and the possibilities of cooperation between the EU and Japan on crisis management.