EU Urged to Allocate 20% of Budget to Defense Over 7 Years

30 October, 2024 Illustration photo of military personnel of European countries with the EU flag. Photo from open sources Former Finnish President Sauli Niinisto called on the European Union to spend 20% of its budget on defense within 7 years.

Euronews reported on this. Niinisto believes that the EU should send a signal to the United States that it is ready to pay its share of military and civilian preparedness. He added that the Union should allocate 20% for its own defense within 7 years.

"Threats do not stop at our borders, they cascade between the interconnected sectors of our economy," Niinisto stated.

Illustration photo of military personnel of European countries with the EU flag. Photo from open sources

The former Finnish President added that if EU countries do not do everything possible for their own security, they cannot expect others to do it for them. "The current funding from the EU budget for defense-related expenditures is below what is needed in light of the strategic context... this is an important signal to the United States and other key partners," he added.

In his report, the politician insists that the EU has faced several crises in recent years, including the Covid-19 pandemic, war, and the hottest year on record. But despite collective efforts, member states are not yet fully prepared for the most serious multidimensional crisis scenarios. The report also contains plans to strengthen cooperation in the field of intelligence.

Euronews writes that this is a controversial topic, given that national intelligence agencies tightly control security issues.

Military servicemen of European countries with the EU flag. Photo from open sources.

Niinisto called for a step-by-step strengthening of the EU's intelligence structures on the way to creating a full-fledged EU intelligence cooperation service. According to his report, "the territorial integrity and political independence of each member state are inextricably linked.

If the security of one member state is compromised or its sovereignty violated, this directly affects the other 26 member states and the Union as a whole."

Assistance for Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has also highlighted significant gaps in Europe's military and defense capabilities, which the Commission estimates will require around EUR50 billion over the next decade. This is necessary to remain competitive with global players such as the United States and China. "Member States must strengthen their cooperation in European defense by investing more together to close long-standing gaps in our military and defense industrial readiness," he added, emphasizing the importance of supporting Ukrainian industry in the long term.

The report is intended to serve as a wake-up call to member states--the former Finnish president recommends that they work closer, faster, and with citizens at the center of their crisis preparedness strategy--but it also calls for increased cooperation between member state stakeholder groups where necessary.