On April 17, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius proposed a new intergovernmental European treaty that would lay the foundation for a defense union and prepare the European Union for self-defense. In his opinion, such an initiative is needed against the backdrop of the United States’ increasing focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Kubilius stated this during the fourth conference of the EU Legal Service.
Kubilius expressed doubts that the current EU treaties are able to provide member states with an adequate basis for the formation of a “defense union”.
“What are the existing treaties and the institutions built on these treaties – a help or an obstacle for European defense to fight as Europe, and not just as a collection of 27 countries?
I call for the creation of a new genuine European Defense Union, to which The United Kingdom, Norway and Ukraine will join. And for this, let’s conclude an additional new intergovernmental agreement,” he said, adding that it could be created on the model of the Schengen Agreement.
This idea was first voiced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the beginning of her second term. At that time, she also presented plans to increase defense spending, expand production capabilities and strengthen coordination between capitals. At the same time, the issue of defense policy remains the exclusive competence of national capitals.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU was already forced to introduce new mechanisms to support defense production. These include the €500 million ASAP program, aimed at ammunition production, and the €150 billion Security Measures for Europe (SAFE) program, which is intended to stimulate joint procurement.
