Key facts
- The EU is not rearming quickly or effectively enough to meet its 2030 defence readiness goal.
- A report by the European Defence Agency calls for a decisive change in the scale and pace of defence investment and capability development.
- Russia produced significantly more artillery shells, cruise missiles, infantry vehicles, and ballistic missiles than the EU in the past year.
- EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius aims to accelerate military innovation funding through the AGILE instrument.
- The EU plans to mobilize €800 billion to boost defence spending, with a €150 billion loan instrument (SAFE) for key defence areas.
BRUSSELS, Sept. 24 (Reuters) - The European Union is falling short of its goal to be ready to defend against Russia by 2030 due to insufficient speed and effectiveness in its rearmament efforts, according to an EU report seen by Reuters. The European Defence Agency emphasized the need for a "decisive change in the scale and pace of defence investment, capability development and industrial capacity" to meet this objective.
EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius highlighted the critical issue of speed in the bloc's defence efforts, proposing that by 2027, funding for military innovation from Brussels will transition from grant to field test within four months through the AGILE instrument. This initiative is intended to push Europe's arms industry to accelerate its production.
Latest figures illustrate the disparity in defence production between Russia and the EU. Last year, Russia produced four million artillery shells compared to Europe's two million, and 1,100 cruise missiles versus the EU's 300. Similarly, Russia manufactured 3,500 infantry vehicles annually, while the EU produced 500, and Europe produced no ballistic missiles, compared to Russia's 900.
To address these gaps, the European Commission has put forward several initiatives, including the white paper for European defence - Readiness 2030, the ReArm Europe plan, and the defence readiness omnibus simplification. The ReArm Europe plan aims to mobilize €800 billion to boost defence spending by providing EU countries with greater financial flexibility, such as activating the national escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact. Additionally, a €150 billion loan instrument, Security Action for Europe (SAFE), is planned to support investments in critical defence areas like missile defence, drones, and cybersecurity.