Chairman of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) Robert Brieger explained on Thursday 15 May that the EU’s military capability was “not optional”.
“Europe must redefine its geopolitical posture. The best way we can ensure peace is to deter those who threaten us. (…) Because today, military capability is not optional, it is essential”, he stressed to the press at the end of the meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff of the EU Member States.
“Europe must be able to protect its interests within and beyond its borders, wherever they are challenged. This requires credible deployable military power”, he added.
According to the head of the EUMC, whether the EU moves towards deeper integration or selective defence cooperation, “security and defence must be central in our agenda“. “Strategic autonomy does not mean going alone. It means having the capacity to act decisively when necessary”, he warned. Mr Brieger added that this meant investing in common defence projects, strengthening interoperability between Member States and building a common strategic culture.
“The concentration of European Union security and defence posture to international crisis management is not enough for the time being and it’s not fit for the future. So we need to clarify the role of European Armed Forces within the territorial defence of the continent”, he said, adding that close cooperation with NATO was clearly necessary. “And for sure, collective defence will rest in the hands of the Atlantic Alliance, but we know that the US is shifting their interest to the Indo-Pacific, and there is the clear need to do more on European soil and by European Member States”, explained Mr Brieger.
Referring to the EU’s maritime operations, he said that Atalanta and Aspides were “critical steps in ensuring the safety of international shipping lanes” and that they needed to be better synchronised “to become even more successful”. He also regretted that the EU’s three maritime operations - Atalanta, Aspides and Irini - were under-resourced, saying that when launching such missions, it was necessary to ensure that there were sufficient ships, aircraft and resources to carry them out. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)