The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the engagement of a war at the gates of Europe have established that European peace has not yet been achieved. New US President Donald Trump and his hostile stances towards Europe have only revived the need to develop a European defence.
However, it is often in the face of crises that the European Union was finally strengthened.
So is it possible to achieve a common defence as envisaged by the Treaties?
Institutions engaged in defence
The European Council accepted early March on Plan « Rearming Europe » EUR 800 billion proposed by the European Commission, Readiness 2030. At this extraordinary council, António Costa the organization was moving well towards « Stronger and more sovereign defence Europe ». A statement in line with the priorities of the strategic programme for 2024-2029 approved by the same council last June, which were to establish inter alia a Strong and secure Europe, and the European Commission's efforts to build a new era for European defence and security.
More recently, the Chairperson of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen the first 100 days of the newly formed institution and affirmed the need to strengthen defence capabilities.
The same applies to the elected from European citizens which have also positioned themselves in favour of this new plan « ReArm Europe » and more broadly a European Union ensuring its own security.
The will is present, but what about the means to achieve it?
Ambitious tools for defence
The European Union and its Member States have in their hands cards that they might be able to use.
Similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the Treaties provide for mutual defence clause and solidarity clause. The first is to ensure that Member States assist and assist, by all means in their power, another Member State which has allegedly suffered armed aggression on its territory. The second is the joint action of the Member States following a terrorist attack or a natural or human disaster suffered by one of them.
Unimaginable? Not really... Indeed, France used the mutual defence clause following the attacks on its capital in November 2015.
In addition, under the permanent structured cooperation, projects continued by some Member States have been put in place in connection, inter alia, with the production of armaments.
The European Defence Fund, adopted in 2021, also promotes transnational cooperation through the financing of European defence projects relating to research, but also to weapons production.
The European Union therefore acts in defence
The international organization has understood the current challenges and intends to take full advantage of the means available to it. Ambitious plan « ReArm Europe » This is an illustration.
The reluctance of some Member States to achieve a common defence has given way to a rapid reaction by Member States to the continuing tensions in favour of inter-State cooperation in the face of the dangers that threaten them.
The European Union could thus use this singular context in its favour and assert itself not just as an economic organisation, but as a political organisation defending its values.
Further information on European Union competences : HERE.
