In groups we trust – Implementing Article 44 of the Lisbon Treaty

In the field of CSDP, some provisions enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty are yet to be implemented. Article 44 is one of them. It posits that within the framework of the decisions adopted in accordance with Article 43, the Council may ‘entrust the implementation of a task to a group of Member States which are willing and have the necessary capability for such a task’.
In this context, the EU and its member states have recently started to look into what Article 44 is – or is not – potentially about. Ideas have been brought to the table from various angles, even in discussions on the response to the Ebola crisis. Yet there are still many unknowns surrounding the purpose, implications and added-value of the Article.