Defence`s Feeds

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Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The next meeting of the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 24 September 2025 from 9.00-12.30 and 14.30-18.30 and Thursday, 25 September 2025 from 9.00-12.30 in Brussels (room SPAAK 3C050).

Further information about the SEDE meeting can be found here.

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SEDE missions 2025:

• Norway - 27-30 May 2025
• Moldova and Ukraine - 14-17 April 2025
  
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - 24-27 February 2025
• Israel and Palestine - 5-8 February 2025

SEDE missions 2024:

• United Kingdom - 28-30 October 2024
• Ukraine - 25-26 October 2024

SEDE Committee meetings' calendar 2025
EP calendar 2025
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Length of video : 15'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

BREAKING:

Polish counter-terrorist forces units have arrested 2 members of the Sinaloa cartel in Poland.

The men were captured in raid on a drug laboratory near the German border.

Chemicals that were about to be turned into 330 kg (730 lbs) of meth were seized.

Sinaloa… pic.twitter.com/Tx1kqR74rq

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 6, 2025 Hardcore stuff here. I absolutely luv it. If this doesn't mark the cartels as international terrorists then I don't know what does. Quite honestly this should be a worldwide MILITARY/LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORT to eradicate them from the face of the earth. But lets get real. Too many powerful people make too much money off this shit so a few hundred thousand deaths a year means nothing.

The Israeli military told Palestinians in Gaza City to leave for the south before bombing a high-rise tower as its forces advanced deeper into the enclave's largest urban area https://t.co/9xcmjtMcoy pic.twitter.com/agC8n1Mxw3

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 6, 2025 Fuck Me! This is the most batshit stupid stuff I've seen in a little while now. They're breaking their military and their economy. They appear to be incapable of pacifying even areas they so called cleared. If nothing else they're building an insurgency from hell. Simply put? Even if they "win" they lose. Just stupid. KNOW WHEN TO SAY WHEN!

Note. Pandur Evo 8x8

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has published its annual Defence Data report for 2024-2025, detailing defence spending from all 27 EU Member States.  In 2024, defence expenditure by the 27 EU Member States reached an unprecedented €343 billion — a 19% rise on 2023 — bringing spending to 1.9% of GDP. The increase, driven largely by record levels of equipment procurement and rising investment in research and development, reflects Member States’ determination to strengthen Europe’s military capabilities in response to the evolving security environment.  

For the full document, please see here

For the first time, defence investment exceeded €100 billion, accounting for 31% of total expenditure, the highest share recorded by EDA since data collection began. While spending continues to grow and is forecast to climb further in 2025, it remains below the levels of military powers such as the United States — underlining the need for sustained investment and greater collaboration to maximise efficiency and ensure interoperability across the EU’s armed forces. 

Head of EDA, HRVP Kaja Kallas, said: "Europe is spending record amounts on defence to keep our people safe, and we will not stop there. This investment will be funnelled into everything from research and development to the joint procurement and production of essential defence components. The European Union is pulling every financial and political lever we have to support our Member States and European companies in this effort. Defence today is not a nice-to-have but fundamental for the protection of our citizens. This must be the era of European defence."

EDA Chief Executive André Denk said: “It is encouraging to see EU Member States taking their defence spending to record levels. Meeting the new NATO target of 3.5% of GDP will require even more effort, spending a total of more than €630 billion a year. Yet we must also cooperate closely, find economies of scale and increase interoperability. EDA stands more ready than ever to support Member States in this endeavour." 

   2025 Forecast:

• EU defence spending is projected to reach €381 billion in 2025 (vs €343 billion in 2024)
• Bloc’s spending is seen at 2.1% of GDP in 2025, exceeding the previous NATO 2% target for the first time since EDA records began
• Defence investment is set to reach close to €130 billion in 2025 (vs €106 billion in 2024)
• Research and Development (R&D) spending may increase to €17 billion in 2025 (vs €13 billion in 2024) 

2024 European Defence Spending – Key Findings:

• In 2024, 25 Member States increased their defence spending in real terms, one more than in 2023, while only two countries slightly decreased defence spending. Sixteen Member States raised their expenditure by more than 10%, compared to eleven in 2023.  
• In 2024, the total defence expenditure per active military personnel reached a record €249,000, up from €211,000 in 2023 and significantly more than the €138,000 spent in 2014. 
• In 2024, 24 Member States met the 20% benchmark on defence investment, up from 20 in 2023, an accelerating trend as countries direct an increasingly larger share of their expenditure to investments.
• Defence equipment procurement rose by 39% from 2023 to €88 billion in 2024, with spending in 2025 projected to exceed €100 billion. The upward trend is expected to continue as several Member States have announced further budget increases and signed major procurement deals in 2024.
• Equipment procurement represents more than 80% of defence investment. While short-term needs have led Member States to prioritise existing solutions, R&D investment has grown.
• A significant rise in R&D spending is essential to develop next-generation capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign markets. Defence cooperation offers benefits such as economies of scale, lower costs, improved interoperability, and reduced duplication.
• In 2024, defence R&D expenditure increased. The 20% rise in 2024 represents a notable acceleration compared to the 6% growth recorded in 2023. Defence R&D spending reached €13 billion in 2024.

Length of video : 90'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Length of video : 45'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

EU Ministers of Defence met today, 29 August 2025, in Copenhagen.

Troels Lund Poulsen, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Denmark, and Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, chaired the meeting, during which Ministers discussed the EU's military support to Ukraine, European defence readiness, and the EU's military missions and operations.

When it comes to European defence readiness, several Ministers recalled the key role of EDA as the established platform for national Ministries of Defence to cooperate on capabilities at EU level.  

In line with its mandate, EDA will continue to support all 27 Member States and adapt its capability expert groups to reflect the new security environment and our common objective to enhance European defence readiness by 2030.

On 1 September, SEDE Members will discuss two draft own initiative reports which will be presented in the Committee for Security and Defence. One on European Defence Readiness 2030: assessment of needs, which addresses the most pressing investment needs to contribute to a stronger, more coordinated European defence, while mitigating the consequences of past underinvestment. The other report, drafted jointly with the TRAN Committee, focuses on military mobility,
which is crucial to enhance the ability of Member States and Allied forces to swiftly move military personnel and assets across the EU to protect EU citizens.
Meeting agenda and documents
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

DRAFT REPORT on European Defence Readiness 2030: assessment of needs
Committee on Security and Defence
Christophe Gomart

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

From 14 to 17 April 2025, the 7-Member delegation of the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) conducted a mission to Chișinău, Moldova and Odesa, Ukraine, reaffirming its strategic commitment to supporting the security, resilience, and democratic integrity of the EU's eastern partners and candidate countries. This marks SEDE’s second visit to Moldova in two years and SEDE’s first visit to Odesa since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Location : Chisinau (Moldova), Odesa (Ukraine)
SEDE mission report including the final programme
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

A 4-Member delegation of the Committee on Security and Defence travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina to visit the EU’s EUFOR Althea operation. This was already the second visit of the SEDE Committee within two years (the last one as the Subcommittee in 2023) showing the keen interest of this committee to monitor the evolving security situation in a key country of the Western Balkans.
Location : Bosnia and Herzegovina
SEDE mission report including the programme
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

A 6-Member delegation of the Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE) travelled from 5 to 8 February 2025 to Israel and Palestine. This was the first mission of SEDE as a fully-fledged Committee, reflecting SEDE’s strong interest and commitment to supporting the scaling-up of EU support to the region, in particular through the two CSDP missions.
Location : Israel and Palestine
SEDE report including the programme
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The 6-Member SEDE delegation mission to the United Kingdom organised in close co-operation with AFET and INTA, was a very timely visit following the announcement by the President of the European Commission and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to enhance strategic cooperation after their leaders’ meeting of 2 October 2024. The UK in particular has set out its ambition for an “enhanced EU-UK defence cooperation,” in light of Russia’s continuing war of aggression in Ukraine.
Location : London, United Kingdom
Press release
SEDE mission report including the programme
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP