Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2024-25
UPN Alm.del Bilag 115
Offentligt
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European Council
Brussels, 06 March 2025
II.
EUROPEAN DEFENCE
1.
Recalling the Versailles Declaration of March 2022 and the Strategic Compass for
Security and Defence, the European Council stresses that Europe must become more
sovereign, more responsible for its own defence and better equipped to act and deal
autonomously with immediate and future challenges and threats with a 360° approach.
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its repercussions for European and
global security in a changing environment constitute an existential challenge for the
European Union.
2.
In this context, the European Union will accelerate the mobilisation of the necessary
instruments and financing in order to bolster the security of the European Union and the
protection of our citizens. In doing so, the Union will reinforce its overall defence
readiness, reduce its strategic dependencies, address its critical capability gaps and
strengthen the European defence technological and industrial base accordingly across
the Union so that it is in a position to better supply equipment in the quantities and at
the accelerated pace needed. This will also contribute to boosting European industrial
and technological competitiveness.
3.
Building on its previous conclusions and in line with the respective competences
conferred by the Treaties, and in light of the recent letter by the President of the
Commission, the European Council stresses the need to continue to substantially
increase expenditure
on Europe’s security and defence,
and:
a)
welcomes the intention of the Commission to recommend to the Council the
activation, in a coordinated manner, of the national escape clause under the
Stability and Growth Pact as an immediate measure, and calls on the Commission
to explore further measures, taking into account the views of the Council, while
ensuring debt sustainability, to facilitate significant defence spending at national
level in all Member States;
 UPN, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 115: Konklusioner fra exo DER vedr. forsvar 6. marts 2025
b)
calls on the Commission to propose additional funding sources for defence at
EU level, including by means of additional possibilities and incentives offered to
all Member States, on the basis of the principles of objectivity, non-discrimination
and equal treatment of Member States, in the use of their current allocations under
the relevant EU funding programmes, and to swiftly present relevant proposals;
c)
takes note of the intention of the Commission to put forward a proposal for a new
EU instrument to provide Member States with loans backed by the EU budget of
up to EUR 150 billion, and invites the Council to examine this proposal as a
matter of urgency;
d)
welcomes the recent letter by the President of the European Investment Bank
Group and the plans therein to step up its support for
Europe’s security and
defence industry while safeguarding its operations and financing capacity, and
calls on the Board of Governors of the European Investment Bank (EIB) to
urgently continue to adapt the EIB’s practices for lending to
the defence industry,
notably by re-evaluating the list of excluded activities and by increasing the
volume of available funding in the field of security and defence;
e)
underlines the importance of mobilising private financing for the defence industry
and invites the Commission to consider measures in this regard, including by
signalling to private investors the importance of the defence industry for Europe at
large;
f)
identifies the following first list of priority areas for action at EU level in the field
of capabilities taking into account the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, in
accordance with the work already done in the framework of the European Defence
Agency and in full coherence with NATO: air and missile defence; artillery
systems, including deep precision strike capabilities; missiles and ammunition;
drones and anti-drone systems; strategic enablers, including in relation to space
and critical infrastructure protection; military mobility; cyber; artificial
intelligence and electronic warfare;
g)
underlines that the defence of all EU land, air and maritime borders contribute to
the security of Europe as a whole, in particular as regards the EU’s eastern border,
considering the threats posed by Russia and Belarus;
h)
in addition, considering the threats on the rest of the EU borders, stresses the
importance of their defence;
 UPN, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 115: Konklusioner fra exo DER vedr. forsvar 6. marts 2025
i)
stresses the importance of more systematic aggregation of demand, harmonisation
of requirements and joint procurement with the aim of reducing overall costs,
ensuring standardisation and interoperability and offering European industry,
including SMEs and mid-caps, greater predictability, as well as contributing to a
well-functioning market for the defence industry that would better mobilise
private and public investments and ensure cross-border access to defence supply
chains;
j)
invites the European Defence Agency, with the High Representative, the
Commission and Member States, to swiftly review the appropriate processes to
that end;
k)
invites the co-legislators to conclude the negotiations on the European Defence
Industry Programme (EDIP) as soon as possible;
l)
underlines the importance of continued support for research, innovation and
development through the European Defence Fund;
m)
calls on the Commission and the co-legislators to swiftly take work forward on
simplifying the legal and administrative framework, in particular for public
procurement, industry cooperation, permitting and reporting requirements, in
order to address all obstacles and bottlenecks hindering a rapid ramping up of the
defence industry, including for SMEs and mid-caps. In this context, the European
Council invites the Commission to prioritise a defence-specific simplification
omnibus.
4.
The European Council also recalls that a stronger and more capable European Union in
the field of security and defence will contribute positively to global and transatlantic
security and is complementary to NATO, which remains, for those States that are
members of it, the foundation of their collective defence. It invites the Member States
that are also NATO allies to coordinate ahead of the NATO Summit in June 2025. The
European Council underlines the importance of working together with like-minded non-
EU partners.
 UPN, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 115: Konklusioner fra exo DER vedr. forsvar 6. marts 2025
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5.
The above is without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence
policy of certain Member States, and takes into account the security and defence
interests of all Member States, in accordance with the Treaties.
6.
The European Council looks forward to the White Paper on the Future of European
Defence, including further elements and options therein that aim to substantially boost
financing for European defence and to strengthen the European defence technological
and industrial base.
7.
The European Council will revert to this issue at its March and June meetings.