But there’s little chance the EU is about to pick out the best and brightest of its recruits for a career in high-risk missions abroad anytime soon — not least because member countries would point to the leaky EU executive arm as a reason not to do so.
“We all know that intelligence gathering is primarily the responsibility of member states,” said von der Leyen. “We should build on improving the flow of information, information gathering and intelligence gathering.”
There are numerous other areas where the bloc should shore up its readiness for conflict, he said, also proposing an EU Preparedness Law that would set out “principles, standards, and targets” under which countries should cooperate. For example, the EU lacks a million cybersecurity experts, Niinistö said, and while he isn’t advocating military conscription he does advocate for capitals to introduce programs that bring civilians into national defense.
Security agencies also need to “make it as difficult as possible for hostile foreign intelligence services to operate anywhere in the EU,” he said.
Niinistö’s findings will feed into von der Leyen’s second term, in which the EU will have its first-ever defense commissioner who will be tasked with drafting a white paper on defense to land by the spring.
