Europaudvalget 2025-26
EUU Alm.del Bilag 8
Offentligt
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August 2025
Towards European Defence Readiness 2030:
Accelerating work on coalitions to address critical capability gaps in the EU
Non-paper by Denmark
Aim
Europe needs to be able to defend itself in 2030, at the latest. The joint White Paper on European Defence Readiness 2030 outlines
the right priorities and direction. Yet, Member State driven steer and momentum is crucial
–
to both implement with pace and deliver
at scale on our shared ambitions. Transforming political will into concrete results is urgently needed.
To meet the 2030 target, and to constitute a credible contribution to transatlantic security, work on the priority capability areas
identified at EU level must be accelerated, in full coherence and complementarity with NATO and
Member States’
national defence
planning.
Thus, as a follow-up to European Council conclusions of June 2025, a centrepiece of the coming
Roadmap
from the Commission and
the High Representative should be how to make progress on the capability domains, including the rapid identification, development
and delivery of collaborative projects within each critical strategic capability gap with Member States
–
able and willing
–
taking the
lead. In practice, this means Member States aligning and prioritising resources to the respective areas and projects, with the support
of EU institutions, relevant programmes and instruments, as well as engaging with defence industry, in order to build on and ensure
coherence with the work done, including in the framework of The European Defence Agency (EDA) and address the progress made
and remaining shortfalls to reach defence readiness by 2030.
Therefore, each Member State should swiftly decide which capabilities it intends to develop and procure, and actively seek synergies
and partnerships with other Member States. Including with Ukraine and likeminded third countries, as appropriate, as well as
engaging with European defence industry.
Building Collective Capability Coalitions (CCC)
Building on the French concept paper (European readiness 2030), the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), and the role of
EU’s
implementing actors in the context of the European Peace Facility (EPF), Denmark suggests that each Member State commit to lead
and/or participate in one or more so-called
‘Collective
Capability Coalitions’
(CCC) addressing the nine (7+2) critical capability areas
identified by The European Council and complemented through the SAFE Regulation. Such a CCC should be committed to jointly
delivering tangible capability projects through
Member States’ willingness and ability
in an overall capability and needs-driven
approach. The CCC cooperation could be based on predefined criteria; e.g., terms of reference and measurable milestones, as well
the commitment to jointly develop, procure and/or purchase the capability at hand; e.g., the acquisition of a specific part or quantum
of the project. This work should be complemented by information on ongoing projects in EDA or other frameworks, as appropriate
(e.g., PESCO, EDF, EDIP, OCCAR, NSPA etc.)
Such a CCC framework would ensure Member State ownership and geographical coverage throughout the Union and beyond. It
could serve as a pragmatic and initial stepping-stone paving the way towards a more pan-European collaborative approach going
forward. E.g., building, amongst others, on the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and in line with the European Defence
Industrial Strategy (EDIS), including the targets herein, strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base
(EDTIB) as a whole.
The call to action: Thus, Member States
–
able and willing
–
are encouraged urgently to address the identified capabilities, inviting
others to join, forming CCC frameworks through a joint, capability and needs-driven approach. Building on the EEAS’ ongoing
overview of the current state-of-play we call on Member States to swiftly decide on where to contribute.
Seeking synergy
Each CCC should be linked up with EU institutions and agencies, utilising EU synergies of common interest in order to ensure
coherence with ongoing work and better align CCC efforts with the policy ambition of the 2030 target. That is, in practice, channelling
Member States’ national defence budgets towards the identified capability areas through joint European projects, with the support
from current EU defence related programmes, instruments, cross-cutting governance structures and institutions. In addition, this
could include the mobilisation of increased private funding for defence related investments, as already being explored in the context
of the European Investment Bank (EIB). At the same time, the final negotiation and operationalisation of EDIP, including making
efficient use of the current EU budget, must contribute to the overall narrative and ambition: To ensure that Europe uses the
increasing defence budgets
–
in coordination and/or jointly.
In this regard, the following principles of forming a CCC could be taken into account:
-
Role of lead nation in a CCC:
Coordinating the overall approach to addressing the capability domain, including by providing
appropriate analysis of European
armed forces’ needs. Hosting and facilitating deep-dive
meeting(s) on the capability area to
ensure progress within the coalition. Hereafter, coordinate responsibility for concrete collaborative projects under the CCC,
including e.g., drafting a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to outline roles and responsibilities, terms of reference (ToR)
etc. Also, depending on the specificities of the capability project at hand, defining measurable milestones and key deliverables
for each consecutive year from the onset until 2030 at the latest. Facilitate work towards achieving the overall goal in
consultation with other participants in the CCC within each of the specific prioritised capability areas (1-9), fleshing out
subprojects, liaising with relevant EU actors etc. In the selection process of collaborative projects, a sharp prioritisation in
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 EUU, Alm.del - 2025-26 - Bilag 8: Dansk non-paper Towards European Defence Readiness 2030
August 2025
dialogue between participants in a CCC and relevant EU actors is needed making sure that efforts contribute directly to
addressing the critical and prioritized capability gaps. Two-countries co-leading coalitions could be considered.
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Role of EU institutions and bodies:
A CCC should be linked to relevant EU institutions and agencies, EEAS, including EU
Military Staff (EUMS), EDA and Commission services, to ensure coherence, coordination, governance and facilitation of efforts.
This could include an assessment on the project potential and ability to address international objectives, guidance on tools
for cooperation and available financing opportunities as well as the possibility of negotiating framework contracts with
European defence industry on behalf of the participating Member States in a CCC.
Engaging industry:
As part of the CCC a close cooperation with European defence industry is key. Both in terms of drawing
on industrial competencies and value chains, such as R&D and production capacity, depending on the specific CCC, including
(sub)projects. But also, more broadly, contributing to sending the much needed coordinated, multiannual and aggregated
demand signals to European defence industry with a view to scaling and ramping up the EDTIB, reducing fragmentation,
strengthening interoperability/interchangeability and reaping the benefits of economies of scale. In practice, such cooperation
could be envisaged in the context of a new EU Defence Industrial Output Plan, building on the ongoing strategic dialogue
between EU, Member States and European defence industry.
Integrating Ukraine:
As a cross-cutting priority, relevant Ukrainian partners could be mapped and included throughout each
and every CCC (1-9) on a competency-based approach in order to ensure continued Ukrainian combat power and support in
all areas, European security of supply and transfer of technology ('battle-proven know-how'). Thus, also contributing, in
practice, to a de facto integration of Ukraine's defence industry, including embedding the Ukrainian innovative ecosystem,
into the European one. This should happen through a mutual strengthening of both Ukraine's and Europe’s defence industrial
capacity specifically (cf. White Paper on European Defence Readiness 2030) as well as, more broadly, European
competitiveness (cf. Draghi Report and Competitiveness Compass) and resilience/preparedness (cf. Niinistö Report and
Preparedness Union Strategy).
Participating with likeminded third countries:
Where appropriate, and with added-value in mind, likeminded third
countries could be invited to participate in a CCC and/or in a CCC (sub)project
–
provided, where relevant, that this do not
impact the EU decision making processes. In particular, if such participation contributes to faster implementation and delivery.
This could apply for third countries having a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU, an administrative arrangement
with EDA, participation in PESCO project(s), and/or third countries that have already established links to relevant EU
programmes and instruments such as SAFE. Co-funding as well as possible committing to purchasing a certain quantum of
the developed capability/product within the CCC will be a point of attention of such third country participation.
-
-
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The above is without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States, and takes into
account the security and defence interests of all Member States, in accordance with the Treaties.
The way forward
Work is ongoing, especially in the framework of the European Defence Readiness Task Force (DRTF), to identify which Member
States will lead the capability domains. This work could be supplemented with an accelerated and more comprehensive mapping of
concrete CCC frameworks matched against both the EU defined capability gaps as well as EU tools and instruments. By marrying a
concise and clear overview of Members States’ total engagement in the capability domains with potential EU tools and industry
partners, this could contribute
to concretely ‘flagging the CCC
projects.’ In practice, and building on existing work, developing a
‘CCC
Grid’ where Member States, in their preferred formats joining-up with individual Member States, are matched through a
concrete CCC with the concrete capability projects on EU level, utilising EU competencies, and engaging with the European defence
industry and likeminded partners. Denmark stands ready to work together with the DRTF on developing such a grid.
To support such a process, a continued series of targeted workshops and deep-dive meetings and discussions on the capability areas
could be further launched to facilitate structured matchmaking between Member States
–
with the aim of forming the CCC
frameworks (1-9), including on project and subproject level. These efforts will build on the work already undertaken by EDA and
DRTF, the strategic dialogue with European defence industry, as well as the momentum generated by the French-initiated meeting
of National Armaments Directors (NAD) in Paris in May 2025. As a follow-up, Denmark is considering to host the follow-up meeting
to the meeting in Paris.
The ultimate goal is to align and unlock political ambition, operational military needs and industrial potential all together. In the
short term, all Member States are called upon to participate under one or more domains and engage in the coalition constellations
(CCC) of their preference through a joint, capability and needs-driven approach. And, in the long term, paving the way towards
delivering the specific and concrete defence capabilities needed for European Defence Readiness in 2030 at the latest.
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