In the wake of a NATO summit in The Hague (see other news), European leaders are expected to re-emphasise the need to significantly increase defence and security spending in the EU. The aim is not only to comply with the objectives set by the Allies, but also to meet those decided at European level.
To achieve this, greater coordination between Member States is essential. According to draft European Council conclusions obtained by Agence Europe, the Heads of State or Government should encourage the rapid development of “collaborative projects, including by making full use of SAFE [the EU’s defence lending facility]”.
However, the discussion between the EU27 should not take up much space compared to the other subjects, except that a link should be made between defence spending and competitiveness.
It will also be a question of asking the co-legislators to make rapid progress on the various texts linked to strengthening the defence industry or spending in this area.
See the European Commission’s letter on the EU’s strategic defence priorities: https://aeur.eu/f/hko
See the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/hjx (Original version in French by Léa Marchal with the editorial staff)