Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2024

The European Parliament adopted by 399 votes to 198, with 71 abstentions, the report on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy - Annual Report 2024.

Geopolitical paradigm shift for European security

Parliament highlighted that threats to European security have reached levels not seen since the Second World War. These include geopolitical fractures, the imperialist ambitions of authoritarian powers, systemic great-power rivalry, nationalist unilateralism, terrorism (including jihadist terrorism), and the increasing use of force and violence by malign actors to achieve political and economic objectives.

In this context, Members expressed their deep concern at the apparent change of position on the Russian war of aggression by the United States, which has accused Ukraine of continuing the war, suspended American military aid and attempted to force Ukraine to renounce its legitimate right to self-defence. They deplored any attempt at blackmail targeting the Ukrainian leadership to force them to surrender to the Russian aggressor for the sole purpose of announcing a ‘peace agreement’.

Parliament also believes that the US administration's current attempt to negotiate a ceasefire and peace agreement without involving the European Union is counterproductive because it gives the warring party an advantage. While moderately optimistic about the proposed 30-day ceasefire agreement, Members expect Russia to accept and respect it by ceasing all attacks against Ukraine.

Support Ukraine

Parliament stressed that a comprehensive peace agreement, which respects Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, must be accompanied by robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine, in order to deter Russia from future aggression. Parliament welcomed the efforts undertaken in this regard with NATO and like-minded partners. It welcomed the European Council conclusions of 20 March 2025, which underline the readiness of the EU and its Member States to contribute to security guarantees, including by supporting Ukraine's ability to defend itself effectively.

Without resolute military support from the EU, Ukraine will not be able to defeat Russia. Members once again urged EU Member States to respect their commitments and deliver weapons, combat aircraft, drones, air defence systems, weapons systems and munitions to Ukraine, including air-launched cruise missiles and surface-to-surface systems, and to significantly increase the corresponding quantities.

The European Union and its Member States are called upon to help Ukraine expand the international coalition supporting the Victory Plan and the peace formula presented by Volodymyr Zelensky. The HR/VP is called upon to mobilise more diplomatic support for Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia.

Union's response: a new era for European security and defence

Stressing that diplomacy must remain a cornerstone of the Union's foreign policy, Members recalled that the European Union must achieve greater strategic autonomy and improved defence preparedness, as set out in the Strategic Compass.

The resolution underlined that NATO and the transatlantic partnership with the United States remain the cornerstones of European collective defence. It endorsed the ambition to strengthen the European pillar within NATO and insisted that the establishment of a European Defence Union must go hand in hand with the deepening of EU-NATO cooperation. Members stressed the need to ensure close coordination between the European Union and NATO on deterrence and in-depth collaboration to build coherent, complementary and interoperable defence capabilities and to strengthen industrial production capacities.

Parliament stressed the need for EU Member States and the EU as a whole to step up their efforts through increased and targeted joint investment, joint procurement of defence products that are, for the most part, designed and manufactured in the EU, and the development of more common capabilities, including through pooling and sharing, thereby strengthening their armed forces for operational purposes, at national, NATO and EU level.

Joining forces to increase defence capabilities

Parliament welcomed the ambition to enable the Union and its Member States to achieve an effective state of defence preparedness and to strengthen the EDTIB. It also highlighted the usefulness of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in improving and harmonising the Union's defence capabilities. It called on Member States to undertake joint procurement with a view to establishing pan-European value chains by distributing production across the Union in order to increase the economic attractiveness of joint procurement.

Members stressed the need to further support the transition from development projects to marketable solutions and the need to ensure coherence of ouputs between the respective capability development planning processes of the European Union and NATO. They welcomed the proposal for European defence projects of common interest to develop common capabilities that go beyond the financial means of a single Member State. The resolution highlighted the need to address the fragmentation of the EU's defence industrial landscape and to complete the full implementation of the internal market for defence products in the Union. A significant increase in investment in defence R&D is also desirable.

Increase resources

Parliament stressed that urgent needs cannot wait for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and highlighted the need to explore innovative solutions for additional funding without delay. While welcoming the increase in Member States' defence budgets and investments and the increase in the EU budget allocated to the CSDP in 2024, Members are convinced that, in view of the unprecedented security threats, all EU Member States should urgently achieve a level of defence spending, as a proportion of their GDP, significantly higher than the current NATO target of 2%.

Parliament urged Member States to support the establishment of a Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, which would serve as a multilateral lending institution designed to provide low-interest, long-term loans that could support key national security priorities.

Furthermore, the Commission is invited to raise common debt to provide the Union with the fiscal capacity to borrow in exceptional and crisis situations, present and future, taking into account the experience and lessons learned from NextGenerationEU,

Lastly, Members called for greater involvement of the European Parliament in the CSDP in view of the increased political priority of the CSDP and the increase in defence spending, both at EU and Member State level, during the tenth legislature.