The European Defense Industry Strategy (EDIS) was presented for the first time on March 5. The strategy promoted by the Commission “will help Member States not only to spend more, but also to spend better, together and the European way”wrote President Ursula von der Leyen in X.
The goal is to make the European Union capable of ensuring its own defense, hoping that by 2030, member countries will jointly purchase at least 40% of military supplies. The Commission understands this responding to new and growing geopolitical threats on the one hand and, at the same time, reduce arms dependence on the United States.
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The difficult geopolitical framework and the role of the EU
On February 24, 2022, the Russian army launched military operations in Ukraine, marking the beginning of a large-scale invasion of the country. The European continent suddenly found itself faced with a war on its own territory. But what's worse is that he found himself fragile in front of tragic, but not strange, perspective of war.
At the same time, European leaders fear that recent statements by presidential candidate Donald Trump will come to fruition in a short period of time. On February 11, at a rally in South Carolina, the former president of the United States provocatively declared that he would “encourage” Russia to invade European countries that do not respect their defense spending. NATO (Ansa, February 11).
Therefore, after seeing me growing geopolitical risks, the European Commission has decided to present the first European Defense Industry Strategy (EDIS). He “sets out a clear long-term vision for achieving defense industry readiness in the European Union »we read in the presentation press release.
Commitment to a solid and structured European defense
To achieve its strategic objectives, the Commission will use a European Defense Industrial Program (EDIP). The latter will take care connect emergency measuresto start in the short term, at a structural approach long term. It will also include financial and regulatory aspects and will mobilize €1.5 billion from the EU budget over the period 2025-2027.
The European Defense Industry Strategy will notably use certain indicators to measure the progress made by Member States. The latter will undertake to jointly acquire at least 40% of defense equipment by 2030. They will also guarantee, within the same period, to reach at least 35% of the value of intra-EU trade in the defense sector. defense. Finally, they will commit to constant progress to secure at least 50% of their defense budget within the EU by 2030 and 60% by 2035.
The planned interventions will therefore aim to develop the European security paradigm. To do this, recalls the Commission, greater investments and coordination capacity are necessary. The European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, during the press conference, particularly stressed that the development of European defense capacity “will allow move from a crisis response mode to a structural defense preparation mode».
In a geopolitical context shaken by growing tensions and risks, Europe can no longer afford to remain a secondary player on the world stage. Being “ready” defensively, however, constitutes a great burdenwhich will require more political wisdom and vision.
