EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has expressed concern about a further fragmentation of Europe’s defense procurement system following the failure of the FCAS combat jet project. He remarked to “Der Spiegel” that he is observing countries increasingly acquiring military goods either individually or in pairs, which he considers a negative trend.
Kubilius also addressed the prevailing fear across parts of Europe that Germany was militarizing, dismissing those worries. He stated that he is not concerned by Germany investing in its defense; on the contrary, he believes this is correct and should serve as an example. However, he emphasized that the crucial factor is whether higher national defense spending leads to increased fragmentation across Europe. Germany must fulfill its responsibility, according to the Commissioner, who stressed, “We need a European arms market. Not just Germany, but all EU Member States should act in a European manner.”
He noted that cross-border cooperation already functions well in the field of space, but provided little examples of successful partnerships in defense. He called FCAS part of a “sad tradition,” stating, “We still struggle to bring all-European defense projects to a successful conclusion.”
