According to a declaration adopted on Wednesday 5 March ahead of the European Council (see other news), the EPP Group in the European Parliament is calling for “a new European security architecture”.
According to the EPP, this requires not only greater defence capacity, but also a new quality of cooperation, defence technology and responsibility. The political group is asking for: - strong national defence capabilities and “a new, strong European Defence Pillar” to build military strength; - a genuine European single market for defence based on a strengthened European industrial base, the swift adoption of a robustEuropean Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) and joint military lead projects (air shield, satellite reconnaissance, cyber defence). “Finding solutions to rapidly finance our increased defence spending will be crucial”, the statement said.
The EPP wants a united EU (“We cannot allow ourselves to be blocked by Putin’s friends”) and it is looking to its many partners around the world, “ such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway and others, who want to defend the international rules-based order”.
See the EPP statement: https://aeur.eu/f/fr1 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)