Climate and military aggression: leaders want an EU ready and prepared to manage crises

Brussels – Military aggression by foreign powers and ‘crazy’ weather: the EU seeks a new season of civil-military special units to respond to crises — whether more conventional or new. The summit of EU heads of state and government reaffirmed the importance of being prepared for the worst and ready for anything. For the 27 member states, “strategic crisis management is required, in an all-hazards and whole-of-society approach.” It is the thrust of the conclusions approved at the European Council summit, the last of the year and the first under Antonio Costa’s leadership.

The new approach becomes inevitable in the face of a changing world that is bringing the European Union into a broader reasoning about how we, as the EU, should respond to the new arrangements. Therefore, in the military and defense sphere, this preparedness for threats and crises should be done “in synergy with NATO where relevant, in an inclusive and non-discriminatory manner and without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defense policy of certain Member States and taking into account the security and defense interests of all Member States.”

Then there is the issue of risks from rising global temperatures: “This new preparedness mindset is necessary to reinforce the EU’s resilience, protect its values, safeguard its economic success and competitiveness, and adapt to climate change,” the leaders emphasized. In that sense, the von der Leyen Commission has already proposed expanding the civil defense mechanism to include military personnel, but more needs doing. That is why the heads of state and government called on European ministers and institutions to “further work to enhance the EU’s and its Member States’ resilience, preparedness, crisis-prevention, and response capacity in a coherent manner.”

English version by the Translation Service of Withub