During the Chicago NATO Summit 2012 which was held between the 20th and the 21st of May, one of the main issues discussed was how to meet the level of defense capabilities needed in the age of austerity. Solutions proposed regarding the balance of the costs of the defense of Europe are referred to in NATO as “smart defense”, while the discussion within the EU is of “pooling” and “sharing”. The discussion is related to the level of ambition the EU has to shape global governance, the role it wants to play in the global politics and its level of contribution to the defense of its own territory, as well as its contribution to international missions and the responsibility it assumes regarding turbulence in the world.