The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called on Tuesday 11 October for a shift from words to deeds in building European defence.
“Last year we made many statements and commitments. Now it is time to move from words to deeds, it is time for action”, he stressed in a video released at the 2nd European Security and Defence Conference in Brussels. He added that European defence was not “a nice to have, a luxury, it is a must”.
However, for this to happen, the industry must also adapt. Thus, according to Alessandro Profumo, President of the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe, we must move from an industry adapted to peacetime to one adapted to times of crisis and conflict.
“On the one hand, urgent short-term capability needs must be met, and on the other, medium- and long-term needs. All of our current defence systems and platforms are and will be used more intensively, industry will need to make these products available more quickly, refurbish them and replace them more quickly”, he explained.
Furthermore, Mr Profumo believes that the defence industry should be considered as a strategically important and priority sector in terms of access to raw materials and finance. He therefore felt that the European Defence Fund, “a vital instrument for fostering cooperation”, should be funded in line with the expectations it was set up with.
Moreover, while Europeans are committed to spending more and better on defence, this will take time. Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder has announced that her country will reach the target of spending 2% of GDP on defence by 2035. At EU level, this target is set for 2024. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)