European Commission outlines defence strategy
The European Commission has unveiled its strategic plan for strengthening European defence, urging member states to invest significantly more, preferably jointly and by buying from European companies.
European intelligence agencies believe Russia could attack a member state by the end of the decade if it wins the war against Ukraine. The Commission also does not rule out the possibility of a large-scale conflict on the continent.
"History will not forgive us for inaction," reads the introduction to the white paper on European defence preparedness, published on Wednesday.
"The security architecture we have relied on can no longer be taken for granted"
The need for Europe to rearm is also urgent because the United States, under president Donald Trump, no longer seems willing to unconditionally guarantee Europe's defence. "The security architecture we have relied on can no longer be taken for granted," said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen when presenting the plan.
'We must spend more'
In this context, the Commission believes Europe must address its weaknesses as soon as possible, including air and missile defence, ammunition and military mobility.
It urged member states to make these huge investments through joint procurement, in order to reduce costs, facilitate cooperation between national armies and provide a perspective for the European defence industry.
"What we invest in defence is how we value our defence. And for the past few decades, we haven’t put a high enough price on it. We must spend more," said Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
150 billion in loans
A few weeks ago, the Commission put forward proposals to allow member states to significantly increase their defence spending, including raising up to 150 billion euros on the financial markets to provide member states with cheap loans for joint defence projects.
The Commission has attached a "Buy European" clause to these loans, requiring member states to guarantee that components representing 65 per cent of the cost of the final product come from Europe or Ukraine.
In addition, the Commission is offering member states more leeway to invest in defence through an escape clause that allows them to exclude defence spending from the calculation of national budget deficits. Countries have until the end of April to declare whether they want to make use of the clause.
Kaja Kallas presents the Commission's defence strategy in Brussels, 19 March 2025 © PHOTO NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
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