Feeding into the discussion on the future direction of the EU at 27, the Commission today held an orientation debate on the future of European defence.
A stronger Europe when it comes to security and defence matters has been a priority for the Juncker Commission since it took office, with President Juncker announcing the creation of a European Defence Fund in his 2016 State of the Union address.
With a worsening security situation in Europe’s neighbourhood and a strong economic case for greater cooperation on defence spending amongst EU countries, the Commission believes now is the time to make strides towards a Security and Defence Union.
High Representative Vice-President Federica Mogherini said: “Security and defence are priorities for the European Union because they are priorities for all our citizens. The world is changing rapidly around us and we have to tackle new challenges every day: as the European Union, we have taken the responsibility to address these challenges.”
Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen added: “There is an overwhelming economic and industrial case for greater cooperation, for example in defence research and procurement. As pressure on national budgets remains high, we need more efficient defence spending and a better use of defence capabilities.”
Today’s orientation debate will help guide the Commission’s work in the weeks to come. Ahead of the Prague high-level European conference on defence and security, on 7 June, the Commission will launch the European Defence Fund announced in the November 2016 European Defence Action Plan. In parallel, it will present a longer-term reflection paper setting out possible scenarios for the future in the area of European defence. A press release and factsheet are available.
