BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Thursday unveiled its Defense Readiness Roadmap to prepare the bloc to “credibly deter its adversaries and respond to any aggression” by 2030.
According to the document, within five years the EU must be able to respond to the “evolving threat landscape” it faces, particularly from Russia, which “poses a persistent threat to European security for the foreseeable future.”
“The recent threats have shown that Europe is at risk. We have to protect every citizen and square centimeter of our territory,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The Commission outlined four flagship projects in the roadmap, as well as boosting the bloc’s military industrial complex while continuing to support Ukraine, which is considered an “integral part of Europe’s defense and security architecture.”
Von der Leyen will present the roadmap to EU leaders at their Oct. 23 summit.
The four key defense efforts in the roadmap are: the European Drone Defense Initiative; the Eastern Flank Watch; the European Air Shield; and the European Space Shield. The idea is for the Commission to help members coordinate on projects that are too large for a single country to do on its own, while being mindful of the need to preserve national sovereignty over defense.
Each flagship project, with a timeline outlined in the paper, will be led by a member state, supported by the Commission, and will address capability gaps without creating an operational structure.
“The roadmap has clear objectives and deadlines for how we will achieve them. It’s up to the member states; they are in the driver’s seat. But it helps them fill the gaps and fulfill the tasks set by NATO,” said Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s top diplomat.
The Commission said the flagship programs are driven by requests from the member states. “Frontline countries feel the sense of urgency and want to prepare after we saw the drone incursions in Europe,” said a Commission official prior to presenting the plans, referring to recent overflights of EU territory by Russian drones.
“This clearly shows that Europe needs a 360-degree approach to rapidly closing capability gaps in this area. Ukraine is ready to support member states in organizing this,” the official added.
The Commission is in close dialogue with NATO to coordinate further steps, and more flagship projects are anticipated.
“Two more initiatives will be announced later this year: a Military Mobility Package and a Technological Transformation of the Defence Industry,” said Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen.
Kallas said the first coordinating meetings of the four groups started this week. “The first meeting of the drones coalition took place with the Netherlands and Latvia in the lead,” she said.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius earlier Thursday announced that Germany intends to take the lead in the European Air Shield.
A Commission official said groups of at least 10 countries are aligned for each of the four efforts.
The European Defence Agency is also playing a central role by providing meeting spaces for the groups and advising on projects.
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