Rules Designed For Peacetime No Longer Work - Kubilius On Simplifying EU Defence Procedures

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said this in his closing remarks following a debate in the European Parliament on three legislative acts included in the Omnibus V package, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

The measures provide for faster permitting procedures for defence-readiness projects, simplified movement of defence products within the EU, and streamlined procurement in the security and defence sectors.

Kubilius said that Europe was still operating under many old rules that had been created in peacetime, when defence needs had sometimes been overlooked. He stressed that the speed at which Europe strengthened its defence readiness was crucial because the threats were immediate, while adapting European rules took time.

Referring to remarks by Mark Rutte, Kubilius said that Europe was not at war but was no longer at peace either, making defence a necessity.

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He described the agreement reached on the defence omnibus as only the beginning of a broader review of European rules. Regulations that worked well under peacetime conditions may prove unsuitable at a time when Europe must be prepared to defend itself.

Kubilius noted that the changes now taking place in the defence sector are on a scale comparable to an event that occurs once in a century. The collective defence architecture established after the founding of NATO in 1949 needs to be transformed in light of the new strategic decisions being made by transatlantic partners.

He said that his generation faced the major task of building a European collective defence architecture that would be significantly more European.

Kubilius rejected claims that this would involve the European Commission taking on additional powers. He argued that EU member states needed to work together to create a structure that would enable Europe to defend itself and deter any threats. He added that Europe was experiencing a crisis of the status quo, that things would no longer remain as they had been, and that Europe had to be prepared for these changes.

A vote on the relevant legislative texts is scheduled for Wednesday, 16 September.

As previously reported, Kubilius called for the creation of a European Defence Union.

Photo: europa

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