In an era of threats and aggression, the future of the European Union depends on our commitment to defend and protect our external borders and citizens. For the EU, that translates into building a 'defence union' with international law as the core of our common rules and mechanisms across all domains: land, sea, air and space.
Unlike a traditional military alliance aimed at countering a specific threat, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the defence union envisions a comprehensive and autonomous security and defence framework that reflects the EU's unique strategic identity, values and geopolitical ambitions.
A clear and shared understanding of what the EU defence union aspires to be is essential to provide strategic direction and ensure consistency with a common European policy, making the mutual defence clause of Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) finally operational.
The next six months will be significant in shaping the direction of the EU's defence policy. This is one of the priorities of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the European Union.
This article is part of The Parliament's Guide to the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Europe first
The European Parliament has been a strong supporter of a genuine EU defence union, advocating for a stronger reliance on the internal European defence industry and requesting the political will of the member states.
Taking greater responsibility for our own security means reducing our dependence on third countries for critical defence equipment and technologies. However, the ReArm Europe 2030 Plan/Readiness and the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument — a recently approved financial tool to boost defence investments in European countries — lack a robust European preference clause.
Without such a provision, Europe risks spending public money abroad instead of investing in its workers, industries and innovation. My political group called for the European preference to be strengthened by raising the eligibility criteria for defence investments financed by the EU budget.
The Parliament's strong position is reflected in the European Defence Industry Programme regulation that will boost investments and enhance competitiveness of the European defence industry over the next two years.
Given the European Strategic Compass, the EU should and will continue to co-operate with like-minded partners, who share respect for international law, EU values and the long-term interests of European security.
For this reason, Turkey has been excluded from the SAFE mechanism. Ankara's foreign policy goes against EU security and values, as it continues to illegally occupy more than 36% of the territory of Cyprus (an EU territory), circumvents Russian sanctions and perpetuates aggressive behaviour in the south-eastern Mediterranean and beyond, undermining NATO's unity.
Cyprus as Mediterranean hub
In this diplomatic dance to foster European security, Cyprus acts as a credible bridge between the EU and its neighbours, thanks to its strong and trusted relations with countries across its region.
Recently, the Commissioner for Defence, Andrius Kubilius, has called for proposals on regional co-operation to advance the EU defence union. As Chairman of the Political Committee for the Mediterranean during the previous mandate, I have asked for higher investments in the Mediterranean region, where Cyprus can play a vital role.
I also proposed establishing a European crisis management centre in Cyprus, gaining support in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. It could serve as a hub to address the most pressing challenges of the region, such as climate change, fires, drought, illegal immigration and geopolitical conflicts, in close collaboration with the European Commission.
Defining a clear direction and securing adequate funding are necessary steps towards a defence union, but nothing will change without the political will of the member states and clear European guidance, starting with Cyprus' presidency.
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