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de Cordoue, B. “A White Paper on the future of European defence: what for?”, Blogpost, Jacques Delors Institute, February 2025

When they took office, European Commissioners Kaja Kallas (Vice-President and High Representative) and Andrius Kubilius (in charge of defence and space) received a mission letter from President Von der Leyen asking them to work together on drafting a White Paper on the future of European defence.

Publication of this document is scheduled for mid-March. Its preparation is mobilising the relevant Commission departments, eliciting contributions from all the players involved (national administrations, parliamentarians, industrialists, think tanks, etc.), fuelling symposia, and ultimately creating a great deal of expectation. The President of the European Council, Antonia Costa, made the same point on 3 February at the end of the informal meeting of Heads of State and Government devoted to defence (“Now the time has come to make choices and to take decisions!”).

It is therefore legitimate to ask what such a European White Paper could – and should – contribute. Let’s try the exercise with regard to defence investment, which is the area that is highest on the agenda1 and could most easily be the subject of concrete initiatives by the Commission.