Will the EU be ready to defend itself by 2030? Newsletter

Key diary dates

• Monday 13-14 October : Informal meeting of trade ministers in Horsens, Denmark.
• Thursday 16 October : Pact for the Mediterranean
• A vision on energy and climate diplomacy ahead of COP30
• Roadmap for EU defence readiness 2030

In spotlight

To be “2030 ready,” Europe needs to act now; the European Commission is urging its member states.

“Europe must urgently equip itself with a strategic capacity, developed and maintained together, capable of responding in real time,” reads an eight-page scoping document shared with the EU-27 ahead of the presentation of the so-called Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030.

On Thursday, the EU executive is expected to propose four pan-European defence projects requiring significant investment.

The most pressing? The European Drone Wall — a system designed to detect and neutralise suspicious drones entering the EU — and the Eastern Flank Watch, which aims to strengthen the frontline states’ ability to counter a range of threats, from hybrid operations to drone incursions.

The latter would be financed through a mix of EU and national sources, including defence industrial programmes, cohesion policy instruments, and dual-use initiatives.

Although defence remains a national competence, the European Commission is increasingly taking on a coordinating role to enhance the bloc’s capacity to protect its borders by land, air, and sea — as well as its networks and assets in cyberspace and outer space.

The EU is pushing to prepare for new forms of conflict and emerging battlefields, such as hybrid warfare, where innovation and rapid, large-scale production will be essential.

“Technological innovation and iteration – developed at speed and scale – will dictate strength on the battlefield,” the paper states.

Thursday’s roadmap aims to give member states greater clarity, with concrete objectives, milestones, and detailed information on the four flagship European projects.

EU leaders will meet in Brussels on October 23–24 to assess progress on defence readiness and to provide guidance on top priority actions.

Policy newsmakers

S&D versus EPP on EU green rules

Members of the European Parliament will vote on Monday on their position regarding the new EU rules on corporate sustainability and due diligence (CSDDD). The issue has long divided the chamber, with debates over whether to weaken sustainability requirements for companies. Jörgen Warborn, who is leading the file for the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), said he would not exclude any party from the negotiations, including the right-wing ECR and the far-right Patriots for Europe. His decision prompted the Socialist lead negotiator, Lara Wolters, to resign from her role.

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