October 15, 2025

The following is a press release:

European regions and cities are on the frontline of today’s security challenges, from the impact of the war in Ukraine to pressure on external borders and hybrid threats, making local resilience and preparedness more vital than ever. In this context, members of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) held a debate and adopted an opinion on the European Defence Readiness 2030 during the plenary session on 15 October, setting out clear demands to ensure that Europe’s defence ambitions strengthen security while empowering local industries.

During the debate, held with General Christophe Gomart (FR/EPP), Member of the European Parliament, and rapporteur on ‘Draft report on European Defence Readiness 2030: assessment of needs’, CoR members stressed that regions play a decisive role in building defence and dual-use technology clusters, particularly in border areas. They highlighted that specific attention must be paid to external border regions at risk of aggression, with targeted socio-economic support and that local and regional authorities should also be recognised as key actors in boosting civil preparedness and resilience against hybrid threats.

CoR members adopted an opinion that includes place-based recommendations and legislative amendment proposals to make sure Readiness2030 takes account of territorial realities, assets and challenges, and that it benefits clusters and SMEs in the EU and strengthens EU territorial cohesion, noting that Cohesion Policy can support the defence industry if it contributes to regional job creation and economic growth, in line with its core mission. The opinion also calls for further strengthening of synergies between Cohesion Policy and defence objectives. Noting that the Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument has already been adopted by the Council, CoR members stressed that there should be a strong definition of European preference, to make sure that the considerable investment needed for EU security will feed into local EU industries and reinforce European sovereignty. They underlined that funding must primarily benefit EU Member States and Ukraine and that at least 70% of the cost of defence components in funded projects should originate in the EU, with design authority based within the Union.

Local and regional leaders highlighted the need to preserve regional cohesion when strengthening the EU’s defence industry, ensuring that territories hosting defence clusters and national champions remain competitive. In the opinion, CoR members also warn that current fiscal limits and a four-year path for defence spending risk a “fiscal cliff” and called instead for an extended timeframe until 2032 to give governments and industry stability. They emphasised that relying on debt to structurally finance our security is not sustainable and proposed therefore the establishment of a new system of genuine own resources to guarantee the EU’s capacity to respond effectively to security challenges in the future.

Quote

Rapporteur Ricardo Rio (PT/EPP), Mayor of Braga: “European security cannot rely solely on increased military investment. It must be built on an integrated vision that strengthens the resilience of our communities, the competitiveness of our territories, and the cohesion among our regions. The new European Defence Strategy is fundamental to safeguarding Europe’s security, supporting our allies such as Ukraine, and ensuring that Europe is better prepared to face emerging threats from Russia and beyond. Cities and regions play a decisive role: we are the ones who turn this strategy into concrete action that protects citizens, fosters innovation, and drives sustainable and inclusive development.”

General Christophe Gomart (FR/EPP), Member of the European Parliament and First Vice-Chair of the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE): “This report on ‘European Defence Readiness 2030: Assessment of Needs’ seeks to strengthen European defence companies by proposing new financing mechanisms. Drawing on over 60 interviews with European defence companies and investors, it identifies three key challenges: securing more orders and visibility, increasing production rates, and enhancing access to financing. Focusing on the third challenge, it addresses difficulties in obtaining financing, the need for more flexible interpretations of ESG criteria to encourage investor participation, and the shortage of large-scale, specialised European investment funds. Despite significant EU defence spending, the report argues that current allocations are insufficient compared to global counterparts, necessitating innovative financing solutions to bolster the sector. These issues lie at the heart of the European Committee of the Regions' concerns. Regions and territories are indeed the breeding ground for the development of the EU defence technological and industrial and base (EDTIB).”

Background

Video and photos from the debate

The 2025 EU Annual Report on the State of Regions and Cities shows that local security is being put to the test: critical local infrastructure is under serious threat from cyber-attacks, local politics is being influenced by misinformation, and regions now have to contribute to the expansion of civil preparedness and the creation of industrial clusters in the security and defence sector.

On 22 September, the European Committee of the Regions launched the Working Group on Defence, chaired by Fernando López Miras (ES/EPP), President of the Region of Murcia, to embed regional and local perspectives in EU defence and to strengthen Europe’s resilience by promoting territorial contributions to defence readiness, civil protection, crisis response and a competitive defence industry.

The European Commission presented on 19 March the White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030 and, as part of the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, an ambitious defence package providing financial levers to EU Member States to drive an investment surge in defence capabilities. While the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 aims to strengthen pan-European defence capabilities with financial means, the White Paper frames a new approach to defence and identifies investment needs.

The Council of the European Union adopted on 27 May the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) --a new financial instrument, providing up to €150 billion in competitively priced, long-maturity loans to Members States to speed up defence readiness by allowing urgent and major investments in support of the European defence industry. SAFE is on track to be the most successful instrument on defence given that within less than six months, the total amount of EUR 150 billion in loans has been assigned.

The Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) aims to ramp-up ammunition production capacity across Europe and with this, help Member States refill their stocks and deliver ammunition to Ukraine by anticipating bottlenecks and shortages in the defence supply chains.

Contact

Theresa Sostmann

Tel: +32475999415

Theresa.Sostmann@cor.europa.eu