Centre right members in the European Parliament say they want to strengthen European defence capability.
They say they want to increase investments in the defence sector, swiftly revise the EU budget to provide necessary funds for the EU’s defence policy, joint procurements and the development of military capabilities.
MEPs claim it is imperative that the decision-making process is improved and accelerated, in particular through more qualified majority voting.
They have also called for a fully-fledged EU military headquarters.
The issue will be high on the agenda when leaders and Members of the EPP Group in charge of security and defence policies discuss “A stronger Europe: Security and Defence of the Union” in the Estonian capital of Tallinn this week.
The keynote speaker is Estonia’s Foreign Minister Urmas Reinslau.
At the Tallinn meeting, Members will also address the security situation in the Baltic Sea Region.
“Security doesn’t come for free. The transatlantic community can only protect its citizens if we live up to commitments and reinforce our capabilities by increasing defence spending with an aim of reaching to 3% GDP spending”, says Riho Terras MEP, Head of Estonian Delegation in the EPP Group.
“When it comes to security and defence, we have heard many announcements but few concrete proposals. For example, now is the time to create a single European market for military equipment. The EU Commission should propose to develop common standards for the production and export of weapons and ammunition. On this basis, we can build real military capabilities – from European cyber to missile defense systems”, insists Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group.
“By bringing EPP delegations together in Tallinn, we can make tangible progress on our common position and jointly call for a stronger and more resilient European Union. Europe urgently needs a more integrated security structure and a strategic outlook to tackle the internal and external threats, such as the war in Ukraine”, underlines Željana Zovko MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chair responsible for coordination of foreign policy among EPP members of the parliamentary assemblies of NATO, OSCE and Council of Europe. The meeting in Tallinn takes place with Zovko’s strong support.
The EPP Group believes that the “illegal, unjustified and unprovoked Russian aggression” against Ukraine drastically changed the geopolitical reality in Europe. It created an unprecedented security volatility in Europe, the level of which has not been experienced since Second World War. It has led to intensified cooperation in terms of the EU defence cooperation, including the unprecedented financing of weapon deliveries.
