Signal ReArm Europe programme for an integrated European defence industry

Summary

The report treats the war in Ukraine as a turning point for European geopolitics, putting defence of European territory against the Russian threat high on the agenda for the first time since the Cold War. Against this background the EU has raised its spending on defence. The ReArm Europe programme cited by the report aims at an integrated defence industry in which equipment is bought and manufactured jointly inside Europe. It also covers building up new capabilities such as drones, cyber defence and space. In the same passage the report observes that American backing for NATO can no longer be taken for granted, which helps explain the push for stronger European capacity. It adds that Dutch industry and research at universities and knowledge institutions are increasingly oriented toward defence.