The British referendum decision to exit the EU has breathed new life into the question of a common European defence - and Italy will be the third-largest defence spender in the EU after Brexit. Well before the referendum, the Italian Ministry of Defence had conducted an in-depth exercise in strategic thinking and planning, culminated in the 2015 white paper on defence. The document codifies the Italian strategy for the use and development of armed force in the European, transatlantic and Mediterranean frameworks.