The defence policy includes all State decisions concerning the organisation and activation of the military capabilities requiredto guarantee the security of the French people and defence of national territory, preserve French interests and meet our international commitments. It is a statement of our military engagement strategy and that of the arms industry. The 2008 White Paper on National Defence and Security and the 2009-2014 Military Programme Law are the reference tools determining key orientations and the means to implement this defence policy.
A White Paper is a reference document defining the objectives of a public policy for a given period, its implementation framework and the key decisions it recommends.
Due to the changes which have come about since 1994 when the previous White Paper on National Defence and Security was published, considerable deliberation is required with a view to producing a new document defining national security and its resources.
The 2009-2014 Military Programme Law implements the new national defence and security strategy. It plans the financial resources made available to defence. It assigns them according to the priorities laid out in the White Paper and decisions made in the framework of the General Review of Public Policies.