The European Commission has presented its plans making clear that the European Union does not want to continue relying on the US for its security and must build its own military and industrial capabilities.
The commission unveiled its White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030 on March 19, setting out a vision for a unified defence market and a significant expansion of military investment.
The proposal signalled the EU’s determination to reduce its reliance on the US as shifting geopolitical realities force the bloc to bolster its own security capabilities.
Years of chronic underinvestment and inefficient spending have left the EU’s military capacity weakened. To address these shortcomings, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen introduced the ReArm Europe proposal on March 4, framing a new approach to defence investment.
The commission’s white paper outlined solutions to close critical capability gaps, strengthen the defence industrial base and increase procurement within Europe over the long run.
“The security architecture that we relied on can no longer be taken for granted,” von der Leyen warned in Copenhagen on March 17. That came as the Russian threat and the potential for US disengagement have caused the EU to push for change.
“If Europe wants to avoid war, it must prepare for war,” von der Leyen said.
A commission white paper serves as the foundation for debate among member states, the European Parliament and the European Council, seeking consensus on new defence initiatives.
Among the EC’s latest key proposals was the Security Action for Europe (SAFE), which envisioned loans of up to €150 billion for joint procurement among at least three countries, including Ukraine and Norway.
While EU members would retain the ability to buy equipment using their national budgets, non-EU countries would need to sign agreements with the commission to access the European market.
In this context, the UK could be invited to participate in the joint procurement scheme, aligning with recent calls for greater UK-EU defence co-operation.
That followed discussions at the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA) in Brussels, where representatives met on March 17–18 to explore deeper collaboration under the 2021 Trade and Co-operation Agreement.
A broader strategy to enhance partnerships with “like-minded nations” regarding von der Leyen’s ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 was also outlined, with a clear emphasis on prioritising European suppliers.
“We must buy more European,” the EC President stated, reinforcing a trend towards strengthening Europe’s own defence industry. That stance has been echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who on March 18 announced an acceleration of the French Rafale fighter jet procurement and the development of a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile.
This initiative was not about cutting ties with the US, von der Leyen stated, but about reducing dependency and diversifying strategic partnerships.
While she has emphasised the EU’s commitment to continued cooperation with Washington, the move reflected a form of de-risking — ensuring that Europe was capable of defending itself as US policy evolved.
The European Parliament’s resolution on the white paper, published on March 12, underscored this shift, stating: “Europe cannot take the US security guarantee for granted and must substantially step up its contribution to preserve NATO.”
The document highlighted that Europe had become overly reliant on US military capabilities, warning that Washington was “reconsidering its approach and may decide to restrict the use or even halt the availability of those enablers”.
Besides the SAFE loan instrument, the ReArm Europe Plan/ Readiness 2030 would also activate “the national escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact, allowing EU member states to increase defence spending”.
It would also “support the European Investment Bank Group in widening the scope of its lending to defence and security projects and accelerating the Savings and Investment Union to mobilise private capital so that the European defence industry is not reliant on public investment alone”.
