The Commission outlined four flagship projects in the roadmap, as well as boosting the bloc’s military industrial complex while continuing to support Ukraine, which is considered an “integral part of Europe’s defense and security architecture.”
Von der Leyen will present the roadmap to EU leaders at their Oct. 23 summit.
The four key defense efforts in the roadmap are: the European Drone Defense Initiative; the Eastern Flank Watch; the European Air Shield; and the European Space Shield. The idea is for the Commission to help members coordinate on projects that are too large for a single country to do on its own, while being mindful of the need to preserve national sovereignty over defense.
Each flagship project, with a timeline outlined in the paper, will be led by a member state, supported by the Commission, and will address capability gaps without creating an operational structure.
“The roadmap has clear objectives and deadlines for how we will achieve them. It’s up to the member states; they are in the driver’s seat. But it helps them fill the gaps and fulfill the tasks set by NATO,” said Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s top diplomat.
The Commission said the flagship programs are driven by requests from the member states. “Frontline countries feel the sense of urgency and want to prepare after we saw the drone incursions in Europe,” said a Commission official prior to presenting the plans, referring to recent overflights of EU territory by Russian drones.