From Political Direction to Military Action: advancing European Defence-Readiness 2030

Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces General Fabien Mandon (Left) and Chair of the European Union Military Committee General Seán Clancy (right) at the CHOD/NAD conference on December 5.

Paris, France. In line with ongoing discussions at the EU level, including the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Defence (FAC-D) earlier this week, and following a French initiative, the Chiefs of Defence and National Armament Directors of the European Union Member States met today in Paris. The Chair of the European Union Military Committee General Clancy was in attendance and contributed to the discussions in his capacity as spokesperson for the EUs highest military body.

The meeting focused on ways to advance Europe's defence readiness objectives by strengthening coordination, accelerating cooperation, and addressing critical capability requirements in a rapidly evolving security environment. Helping Ukraine to be in the strongest possible position to secure a just and lasting peace was also a strong theme for this meeting. This support is not separate from our European readiness; it is part of it.

It marks an important step in translating political priorities into coordinated military and industrial action.

A STRONG SIGNAL OF UNITY, COHERENCE AND RESOLVE

Discussions confirmed a shared understanding of today's complex security challenges and a clear determination to accelerate, European defence readiness and our support to Ukraine, in full coherence with NATO while fully respecting national sovereignty.

Member States reaffirmed their commitment to:

• Act in a more coordinated and pragmatic manner on capability development and joint procurement.

• Prioritise European solutions where available.

• Increase interoperability and coherence across European armed forces.

• Reduce critical dependencies and reinforce resilience.

These commitments aim to contribute directly to a stronger, more resilient European security and defence posture, fully coherent with NATO

They also demonstrate Europe's ambition to move faster from political intent to practical implementation, in a spirit of unity and responsibility.

ACCELERATING COOPERATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

During the working sessions, CHODs and National Armament Directors exchanged views on the tools and mechanisms currently in place, or under development, to facilitate and accelerate possible joint acquisitions. The importance of simplifying and optimising current processes was highlighted, to improve efficiency and responsiveness.

A CONCRETE CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPEAN SECURITY

This conference is not just an important milestone it is the logical, innovative, and necessary step Europe must take to close its most urgent capability gaps. By aligning political direction with operational need and industrial capacity, CHODs and NADs have demonstrated a collective readiness to move from declarations to delivery. The outcomes of today's meeting signal a decisive shift toward concrete, coordinated action that will strengthen Europe's defence posture, reinforce NATO coherence, and ensure that our support to Ukraine and our own readiness advance together with speed and credibility.

Strength in Unity, Credibility through Capability.