MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the white paper on the future of European defence
5.3.2025 - (2025/2565(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 136(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Hans Neuhoff, Petr Bystron
on behalf of the ESN Group
B10‑0151/2025
European Parliament resolution on the white paper on the future of European defence
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
– having regard to Title V of the Treaty on European Union, in particular Chapter 2, Section 2 thereof, which includes provisions on the common security and defence policy,
– having regard to the Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe of 1975,
– having regard to the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Russian Federation of 1997,
– having regard to the Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security of 1994,
– having regard to the Charter for European Security of 1999,
– having regard to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949,
– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations,
– having regard to the EU Strategic Compass for Security and Defence of 2022,
– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 5 March 2024 entitled ‘A new European Defence Industrial Strategy: Achieving EU readiness through a responsive and resilient European Defence Industry’ (JOIN(2024)0010),
– having regard to the report by Mario Draghi of 9 September 2024 on the future of European competitiveness, specifically Chapter 4 on increasing security and reducing dependencies,
– having regard to the report of its Committee on Foreign Affairs of 10 February 2025 on the implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2024,
A. whereas the world is undergoing a significant transformation towards a multipolar order in which major powers such as the United States, Russia and China will play a decisive role;
B. whereas the United States has signalled a strategic shift in focus towards its own continent and its immediate vicinity, with potential implications for its long-term commitment to European security and NATO;
C. whereas for decades, the EU has unconditionally followed the United States in foreign and security policies, while the primary burden of defending the European continent has rested with the United States – an approach that is no longer sustainable given current geopolitical developments;
D. whereas the EU and its Member States currently lack a coherent strategy and clear situational awareness in order to effectively shape their foreign and defence policy;
E. whereas years of neglecting independent defence capabilities have created substantial gaps in the security and defence readiness of the EU and its Member States;
F. whereas hybrid warfare remains one of the most significant threats to European defence, independence and sovereignty;
G. whereas, in this regard, the US Government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), has for decades invested significant amounts in media organisations that engage in global influence, such as Internews Network and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP);
H. whereas the European External Action Service currently collaborates with USAID on multiple projects;
I. whereas Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump have taken steps to dismantle these deep-state operations in the US by defunding USAID, NED and OCCRP, leading to mass lay-offs within these organisations;
1. Calls on the Member States to acknowledge the new geopolitical reality and take decisive steps towards ensuring their own security and defence capabilities independently of external actors;
2. Stresses the need for an immediate and comprehensive security assessment, followed by the development of a robust strategy that clearly defines the EU’s independent foreign and defence policy objectives;
3. Calls for the development of a new continental European defence concept focused solely on protecting the interests and territories of the EU Member States, without advancing further supranational oversight of defence policy;
4. Proposes initial steps towards building a European Defence Alliance;
5. Supports the strengthening of the European defence industry, research and funding mechanisms to enhance European autonomy in defence production; notes that all funding and cooperation mechanisms must remain intergovernmental and respect the sovereignty of each EU Member State;
6. Welcomes the proposal to establish a new permanent decision-making body composed of the defence ministers of the Member States in order to consolidate European decision-making processes on security and defence matters; emphasises that this forum must not be vested with supranational decision-making powers;
7. Emphasises that consolidating defence capabilities should not lead to the Europeanisation of national armed forces, but rather to streamlining and mutual support in areas where individual Member States cannot act effectively alone;
8. Calls for an open debate on the recommendations of the Draghi report with regard to enhancing security and reducing dependencies, stressing the urgency of initiating this discussion at EU level;
9. Stresses that negotiations on the future security architecture of Europe must involve all the relevant actors; calls for the EU to engage in constructive dialogue with all stakeholders to establish a realistic and sustainable European security framework;
10. Reaffirms that all states have legitimate national security interests that must be respected; emphasises that no state should strengthen its security at the expense of another, in line with the principles of the Helsinki Final Act;
11. Calls for strict adherence to the principle of non-interference and other universal norms of international law as a guiding principle for EU foreign and security policy;
12. Expresses deep concern over the substantial financial influence exerted by USAID, NED and OCCRP over European media organisations; condemns, in this regard, the targeted media attacks orchestrated against multiple European politicians by these organisations in an apparent effort to manipulate electoral outcomes;
13. Calls for an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the extent of the involvement of USAID, NED and OCCRP in EU Member States’ elections and policymaking processes; calls on the Commission to conduct a full audit of all financial transactions between the EU institutions and USAID, OCCRP, the Open Society Foundations and NED, and to make these findings public;
14. Demands that the European External Action Service immediately terminate all collaboration with USAID and reassess any remaining cooperation agreements with foreign entities engaged in political influence operations;
15. Stresses that financial influence exerted by foreign governments over EU Member States’ elections and media constitutes an act of hybrid warfare against European sovereignty;
16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the President of the Commission, the relevant members of the Commission, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Secretary General of NATO, the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.