The EU foreign policy chief and European Commission have presented a new Defence Readiness Roadmap, a comprehensive plan to strengthen European defence capabilities, and stand firmly by Ukraine.
The roadmap ‘Preserving Peace – Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030’ includes plans for drone defence, protecting Europe’s eastern flank, a European Air Shield and a European Space Shield.
“Over the next few years, we envisage a major build-up of European capabilities across the Union, in line with NATO targets,” said the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas: “Our armed forces must be able to anticipate, prepare for and respond to any crisis.”
The roadmap calls on the EU’s Member States to complete the formation of ‘capability coalitions’ in nine key areas — to close critical capability gaps through joint development and procurement.
These are air and missile defence; strategic enablers; military mobility; artillery systems; cyber, AI, electronic warfare; missile & ammunition; drones and counter-drones; ground combat; and maritime.
A more integrated European defence equipment market will scale up production, achieving economies of scale, and driving innovation. The goal will be, by 2030, to establish a genuine EU-wide market with harmonised rules that enable industry to deliver at speed and volume.
The Commission says it will track industrial capacity – starting with air and missile defence, drones, and space systems — to ensure Europe can meet its most urgent needs.
The Commission and foreign policy chief will present this roadmap to the European Council, including proposals for the pan-European flagship projects to guide Europe to full defence readiness by 2030.
The roadmap also sets out plans to establish an EU-wide military mobility area by 2027, with harmonised rules and a network of land, air, and sea routes to move troops and equipment swiftly across Europe. Developed in close coordination with NATO, this is aimed at strengthening Europe’s ability to respond rapidly to crises.
Joint Communication Preserving Peace – Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030
