The defence readiness roadmap 2030 translates the ambition of the 2025 white paper for European defence into concrete objectives intended to ensure that EU Member States can deter and respond to high-intensity threats by the end of the decade. It identifies persistent fragmentation, limited joint procurement and dependence on non-EU suppliers as key structural weaknesses, despite rising defence spending. Capability coalitions are designed to coordinate national investment in priority areas, and European readiness flagships, such as the drone defence initiative and the European air shield, aim to provide urgent collective responses to emerging threats. Successful implementation will depend on meeting targets for collaborative procurement, industrial capacity expansion and regulatory streamlining. The roadmap views defence readiness as dependent on a resilient industrial and technological base linked to innovation, workforce development and secure access to critical raw materials. It emphasises closer coordination with NATO and international partners, including Ukraine, whose integration into European defence planning is treated as strategically essential. Trade unions warn against deregulation and social cost shifting, while industrial actors emphasise predictable frameworks to incentivise investment. Expert analysts caution that political divergence among Member States, limited new funding and concerns over duplication with NATO may hinder progress. The European Parliament supports greater defence ambition and calls for a unified posture based on sustained support to Ukraine and strengthened joint capability development. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP Read more