THE EUROPEAN – SECURITY AND DEFENCE UNION
G7 Leaders discussing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (on the screen) during their meeting in Schloss Elmau, Germany, 26th-28th June 2022.
photo: ©EC/DATI BENDO
The EU must become a stronger and more capable security provider
European enlargement, security and defence on the rise by David McAllister MEP, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), Brussels/Strasbourg
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he Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the grave and wholesale violations of human rights and international law have made it all the more urgent for the EU to respond to new geopolitical dynamics. The historic decisions taken at the European Council on 23th-24th June and the NATO summit in Madrid a week later will profoundly shape the future of Europe. The G7 meeting in Elmau has also underlined the determination of western allies to maintain the strongest possible unity of the international community in condemning the Russian Federation, defending international law and upholding the rules-based international order. Ahead of the G20 meeting in Bali on 15th-16th November, we must step up our diplomatic efforts to convince as many countries as possible to align with the sanctions against Russia. The pressure on the Putin regime must be ramped up.
Striving for the EU’s strategic sovereignty The Kremlin has not yet achieved any of the goals it set out to achieve. Instead, Putin’s war has made NATO more united than it has been for a long time. Not only that, the transatlantic
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alliance has been bolstered further. In a changed geopolitical environment, NATO members signed the accession protocols for Finland and Sweden on 5th July. I for one strongly welcome the fact that all of our allies have finally recognised that having these two Scandinavian countries in NATO will increase security in Europe. All over our continent, security and defence policy is gaining enormous importance. Germany will gradually increase its defence budget to match NATO’s 2% target and has launched a special fund of €100bn for its armed forces, the Bundeswehr. The people of Denmark have voted in a referendum to join the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). These two examples demonstrate the far-reaching changes that have taken place in a very short period of time. The European Commission should seize this momentum and quickly take all the necessary steps to ensure the strategic sovereignty of the EU and pursue a genuine security and defence policy in close cooperation with NATO. Adopting the Strategic Compass for the EU on 21th March 2022 was a key milestone, as it provides the Union with a clear roadmap for our security and defence activities for the years to come. This compass is intended to serve as the EU’s first ever White Book on European defence, and I now call for its swift implementation. It must meet the highest level of ambition and priorities
