EU's ability to defend against invasion remains in doubt, finds official report
Fragmented infrastructure and reliance on US continue to hinder ‘defence readiness’, says European court of auditors
TL;DR
- The EU's defense readiness goal by 2030 faces significant challenges, according to the European Court of Auditors (ECA).
- Fragmented national defense systems and reliance on the United States remain key obstacles.
- Despite a 79% increase in defense spending between 2020-2025, achieving self-sufficiency in warfare is difficult.
- Industrial bottlenecks and insufficient cooperation between EU governments contribute to risks of duplicated spending and capability gaps.
- A significant majority (78%) of EU defense acquisitions between Feb 2022 and June 2023 were sourced outside the bloc, with the U.S. accounting for 63%.