A Reflection on the White Paper on European Defence

Article written in collaboration with European Careers Association Maastricht

Authors:  Kristoffer Saetre (ECA Maastricht) and Agnese Porro (EG)

“The era of the peace dividend is long gone. (...) Europe is ready to step up.” With these words, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the Commission’s White Paper on European Defence. In a paradigm shift, the EU responds to evolving threats in the contemporary European security environment. 

The following analysis of the White Paper will concretely illustrate how the EU intends to contribute to the Member States’ rearmament plans. Its security and financial implications, with their related criticisms, must be examined to understand the Paper’s impact on the EU’s military readiness. By the end of the analysis, we should be able to answer the question: Is Europe prepared to confront Russia alone, without the protection and support of the United States?

Before we dive into the details of the White Paper, let’s set the scene. During four years of war, Russia has become a ‘fundamental threat to European Security’. With its increasingly aggressive rhetoric of threatening to make use of its nuclear arsenal and its blatant refusal to accept peace proposals, Russia has demonstrated that a direct military confrontation with EU countries is plausible, particularly if it achieves its objectives in Ukraine. To list further security risks that the Paper is meant to address, China is expanding its military capabilities, thereby eroding the strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific. The Sahel Region in Africa is shaken by renewed instability, with escalating jihadist insurgency and the presence of armed Islamist groups. Even the US, a once reliable partner, is putting pressure on NATO member states. In this uncertain security environment, the Commission decided to take a stance by publishing a White Paper within the first 100 days of the European elections.

The White Paper

The term “White Paper” traditionally refers to an authoritative report that presents a specific issue, outlines policy options, and proposes recommendations or a roadmap for action. Such documents are typically published on plain white paper, distinguishing them from "green papers" (which are more consultative or exploratory). Thus, the White Paper, published on the 19th of March 2025 by the EU’s Directorate  General for Defence Industry and Space, outlines intended actions, and – while these measures still require further discussion, negotiation, and, in many cases, legislative approval – the European Council has endorsed the urgency of the White Paper, calling for accelerated work on its proposals. 

The White Paper’s primary goals are:

• Restoring credible deterrence through coordinated investment in defence capabilities.

• Closing critical capability gaps.

• Strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) to reduce fragmentation and dependencies.

• Ensuring long-term support for Ukraine while integrating its defence industry into Europe’s ecosystem.

• Mobilizing financial resources via joint procurement, EU funding mechanisms, and fiscal flexibility. 

Ukraine: A Strategic Priority

The White Paper underscores Ukraine’s defence as fundamental to European security, calling for increased military assistance, including ammunition, air defence, and training, an integration of Ukraine’s defence industry into the EDTIB through joint ventures and technology transfers and, finally, long-term security commitments, with the ambition of ensuring that Ukraine remain a key partner in Europe’s defence architecture.

Industrial and Financial Mechanisms

Regarding industrial tools, the White Paper proposes demand aggregation and joint procurement via the European Defence Agency (EDA), strategic industry dialogue to align production with defence needs, a European Military Sales Mechanism for faster acquisitions, supply chain security for critical raw materials, and standardization and regulatory simplification to foster a true EU defence market.

As per financial tools, an escape clause within the Stability and Growth Pact was invoked to allow Member States to exceed deficit limits for defence spending (up to 1.5% of GDP excluded from deficit calculations); a SAFE Regulation (Security Action for Europe) was proposed, entailing €150 billion in EU bonds for defence loans and, finally, a ReArm Europe Plan was envisioned The latter would mobilize €800+ billion via national budgets (€650 billion), SAFE loans (€150 billion) and private capital and redirected EU funds. 

The EU’s role: Financing and coordination  

As illustrated above, the Commission intends to support the MS with strategic finance measures. Capital must be mobilized to facilitate rearmament, and European defence spending should be coordinated to ensure collective and effective procurement. This increase in spending should reduce dependence on US military capabilities and its defence industry. While the Commission suggests that it could take up the role as a central purchasing body on behalf of a given MS, it highlights that the MS remains in charge of its armed forces, with the benefit of relying on the Single Market and EU actions. In light of these strategies, outlined by the White Paper, the role that the EU wants to play can be seen. Rather than commanding an EU army or supporting EU-coordinated military missions, it seeks to expand its role in financing and procurement. This position should allow other military alliances to co-exist and not touch upon MS sovereignty in their foreign policy. Moreover, using common standards, mutually recognized certification schemes, and interoperability measures should help overcome differences between the EU’s MS and empower joint operations. With these concrete steps, Europe has a roadmap until 2030 to ready its defence.

A priority on industry over integration

While defence funding is vital in military support, critics argue that the paper fails to address any visions of a unified European Defence Union. Overall readiness requires more than just focusing on the defence industry, according to EUROMIL. No attention is given to the MS armed forces and their personnel, which remain subject to national policies. Issues such as recruitment, retention, and training are not addressed. Furthermore, the White Paper reinforces the current system, in which national armies operate independently and Common Security and Defence Policy missions remain limited. Here, the Commission missed an opportunity, disregarding the EP’s resolution on the white paper to reassess CSDP missions and further military integration. With this effort, the EU will end up with a Defence Industry Commissioner rather than a Commissioner for defence and military affairs. Moreover, the competitiveness within the defence sector will be under pressure as spending is mostly directed at big defence industrial players such as Airbus, Rheinmetall, and Leonardo. Yet, in this area, the Commission promises to support SMEs in accessing capital, guaranteeing long-term investment security and cross-border collaborations. 

So, does this White Paper mean Europe is now ready to defend itself? The answer is, it will take time. The Commission has taken the first step to rebuild national military forces. The Member States must follow this line to make Europe resilient against external pressure.