The European Commission is preparing to take an important political turn with its Competitiveness Compass. The new college of commissioners will present security and defense as one of the most relevant pillars for the coming years. To this end, the Community Executive is already preparing a White Paper for Defense that should serve to prepare member countries to face an uncertain geopolitical scenario, as well as increasing natural disasters such as those experienced in the Valencian Community.
To prepare this strategic document, the president of the European Commission, Úrsula von der Leyen, entrusted the former Finnish president, Sauli Niinistö, with the preparation of another report “Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness ) that joins those of Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi as key guides to set the political objectives of his mandate. In the report prepared by Niinistö, They outline eight blocks of measures that aim to strengthen Europe’s security and its capacity for common reaction in the face of scenarios that until now had not been foreseen such as military aggression against a member state.
1. Decode today’s crises and anticipate threats.
The former Finnish president proposes carrying out a comprehensive risk assessment of the EU that covers all sectors. Use the next ‘Preparedness Strategy’ to address them and strengthen the EU-NATO relationship in the face of crisis situations through an emergency protocol that can be activated to speed up the exchange of information.
2. Enable the EU to function in all circumstances
Develop a comprehensive list of vital government and social functions. Ensure their continuity in the event of armed aggression, cyber attacks or natural disasters and create a “Security and Preparedness Control” to ensure that these functions are taken into consideration in the impact assessments of future proposals and legislative reviews.
3. Guarantee the speed of action with appropriate structures and procedures.
As the DANA of Valencia or the covid has shown, reinforcing operational coordination is key. To this end, the development of a “Crisis Operational Center” is proposed to facilitate coordination between sectors and situational awareness. It is also proposed to establish an EU Earth Observation service to improve preparedness, decision-making and action in the fields of security and defense and to develop tools to make EU strategic foresight more practical and solutions oriented.
4. Strengthen individual and family preparation.
Jointly invest in citizen risk education, incorporating different dimensions, such as cybersecurity, natural disasters and disinformation. A 72-hour self-sufficiency goal will be promoted through information campaigns involving civil society organizations, unions and employers to improve crisis preparedness in different areas of life.
5. Harness the potential of public-private partnerships.
Niinistö also proposes developing stronger public-private information exchange and coordination mechanisms to strengthen the flow of information on existing and emerging risks. Consider flexibility measures, including derogations from regulations in the event of an emergency, to respond more quickly to crises.
6. Overwhelm malicious actors to deter hybrid attacks.
Strengthen EU intelligence structures towards a fully developed cooperation service. Strengthen the EU’s capacity for “deterrence by denial” (denying the adversary the ability to successfully achieve its intended objectives) and for so-called “deterrence by punishment” (imposing punishment to deter people who have already committed a crime). crime of doing it again).
7. Expand Europe’s defense efforts and unleash its dual-use potential.
The former Finnish prime minister calls for developing a package of EU defense capabilities for the next decade, with for example an anti-missile shield. Strengthen civil-military and dual-use cooperation and develop a single Defense market that facilitates industrial cooperation.
8. Build mutual resilience with partners through assertive EU diplomacy.
Include the principle of mutual resilience in EU initiatives, taking into account sectoral or regional specificities. Use scenario-based risk assessments to prepare response options and guide the development of broader policies on potential external shocks and crises. Adapt the budget framework to improve multi-year financing and investment and ensure long-term financing of key programs. These measures are crucial for the EU to confront the threat of military aggression, cyberattacks, natural disasters and disinformation campaigns.
One euro in early warning systems saves up to 130 euros
Extreme weather events and disruptions to global trade have affected millions of people in the EU between 1980 and 2022 and have cost Member States €650 billion, €112 billion between 2021 and 2024. In a similar vein, the macroeconomic cost of the Covid-19 pandemic for the euro zone is estimated at 16% of GDP. According to the European Commission, every euro invested in pandemic preparedness can generate average benefits of 13.3 euros. In the case of heat wave early warning systems, the return on investment reaches an average of 130 euros. For this reason, the Finnish Prime Minister believes that a demonstrated commitment to preparedness at the government level has a crucial impact on mentalities, reinforcing public trust in the government and generating confidence among investors and citizens. Likewise, it is recommended to include the design preparedness criterion that is based on addressing natural and man-made threats together.
#Brussels #measures #reinforce #Defense #face #natural #disasters
