The European Commission and the High Representative have presented to EU Member States the “Preserving Peace – Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030”, a comprehensive plan designed to reinforce Europe’s defence capabilities and ensure full readiness by the end of the decade.

As requested by the European Council in June, the Defence Roadmap outlines clear objectives and milestones to close capability gaps, accelerate defence investments across Member States, and guide the EU's progress towards full defence readiness by 2030. Strengthening Europe's defence also means standing firmly with Ukraine.

The new Roadmap builds on the Joint White Paper for European Defence – Readiness 2030 and the ReArm Europe Plan, introduced by the Commission and the High Representative in March 2025.

President Ursula Von Der Leyen shared: “Recent threats have made it clear that Europe is at risk. We must protect every citizen and every square centimetre of our territory. Europe must respond with unity, solidarity, and determination. The Defence Roadmap offers a clear plan, with shared goals and measurable milestones on our path to 2030. Because only what gets measured gets done.”

European Readiness Flagships

The roadmap introduces four European Readiness flagship initiatives: European Drone Defence Initiative, Eastern Flank Watch, European Air Shield and European Space Shield. These projects aim to enhance Europe’s ability to deter and defend across all domains (land, air, sea, cyber, and space), while directly contributing to NATO capability targets.

Capability Coalitions

Furthermore, the roadmap calls on Member States to complete the formation of Capability Coalitions in nine key areas to close critical capability gaps through joint development and procurement. These are air & missile defence; strategic enablers; military mobility; artillery systems; cyber, AI, electronic warfare; missile & ammunition; drones & counter-drones; ground combat; and maritime.

Strengthening Europe’s Defence Industry

An EU defence industry capable of delivering essential capabilities at scale and speed is central to the plan. The roadmap emphasises innovation, including Ukrainian defence technologies, and seeks to reduce dependencies in critical supply chains and raw materials. By 2030, the goal is to establish a fully integrated European defence equipment market with harmonised rules, enabling industry to scale up production efficiently. The Commission will monitor industrial capacity, beginning with air and missile defence, drones, and space systems, to ensure Europe can meet its most urgent security needs.

Boosting Investment and Military Mobility

The ReArm Europe Plan / Readiness 2030 provides the financial foundation for the Defence Roadmap, combining public and private investment with new budgetary flexibility under the Stability and Growth Pact’s defence clause and the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) loan. The roadmap also envisions the creation of an EU-wide military mobility area by 2027, featuring harmonised rules and an interconnected network of land, air, and sea routes to allow troops and equipment to move swiftly across Europe. 

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