Defense`s Feeds

On Monday, 22 September 2025 in room Spaak 3C50 (16:00-17:30), the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) will hold a public hearing on promoting an EU feminist foreign policy. This hearing brings together Margot Wallström, who launched the world's first feminist foreign policy in 2014 when she was Foreign Minister of Sweden, and Aude Maio-Coliche, the EU Ambassador for Equality, to discuss how an EU feminist foreign policy could take shape and what the EU is currently doing in this field.
A Feminist Foreign Policy is an approach that puts gender equality at the centre of foreign policy and highlights resources, representation and rights. The hearing aims to assess the current level of ambition and implementation of the EU's foreign policy as regards gender equality, and provide inspiration and concrete examples for continued work in this area.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Dania Allenbach (18) liebt das Chrampfen – auf und neben der Skipiste. Auch dank der tatkräftigen Unterstützung durch Familie und Lehrbetrieb darf sie ihren Traum ausleben. Wohin führt ihr Weg?

Der umstrittene rechte Influencer Milo Yiannopoulos hat nach dem Tod von Charlie Kirk sein Comeback angekündigt. Die Maga-Welt jubelt, Yiannopoulos’ kontroverse Vergangenheit kümmert Amerikas Rechte dabei wenig.

Eine deutsche Webseite publiziert Blitzer-Warnungen im Aargau. Ist das legal? Und was gilt in den anderen Kantonen?

Bei Meyer Burger gehen endgültig die Lichter aus. Auch die letzten Angestellten stehen jetzt auf der Strasse. Wegen gravierender Fehler ist der Traum vom Schweizer Premium-Solarhersteller geplatzt. Blick erklärt die Hintergründe des Untergangs.

Pro Velo ist der nationale Dachverband für die Interessen der Velofahrenden in der Schweiz. Für Blick beantwortet Pro Velo regelmässig Leserfragen rund ums Thema Velofahren.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) and the EU Military Staff (EUMS) have begun consultations with Member States for the next Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD), the EU’s ‘State of the Union’ in defence. The report, due next year, will provide a detailed overview of Member States’ goals, plans and projects. It will highlight trends in spending and planning, and identify gaps and collaborative defence initiatives with the greatest potential impact. It aims to inform decision-making at both national and EU levels. 

Europe’s defence posture relies on striking a careful balance: meeting urgent operational needs while pursuing long-term strategic objectives. 

Belgium was the first of the 27 Member States to be consulted. During the discussions, EDA analysed Belgium’s plans and priorities and discussed the Belgian perspective within the wider European context. These consultations offer first-hand insights into how national strategies contribute to EU defence and provide a platform to explore collaboration that avoids duplication and strengthens interoperability – the ability of armed forces, systems, equipment and technologies to work together.  

Ultimately, CARD helps Member States bring coherence to the EU defence landscape and improve the efficiency of defence spending. 

Ready for November 2026  

The next consultation will take place this week in Ireland, and with all other Member States over the coming months.  

Once complete, the findings will be compiled by next May. Political recommendations will serve as a reference for current and future defence initiatives and inform decisions on joint investment priorities, including Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects. 

This is the fourth CARD cycle, building on previous reviews to track trends and propose concrete measures for cooperation. Updated assessment criteria will help identify opportunities for joint initiatives addressing short-, mid- and long-term military needs. Final recommendations will be submitted in the CARD report to the EDA Steering Board in November 2026. 

EDA’s wider role 

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency serves as the hub for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks covering the whole spectrum of defence capabilities. 

Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. For more details, please see www.eda.europa.eu 

Written by Clément Franzoso.

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is an important tool of participatory democracy in the European Union (EU), which gives Europeans a more active role in shaping EU policy. The initiative allows citizens to call on the European Commission to make new proposals for EU legislation if they gather at least one million signatures from at least seven EU Member States. Since its introduction under the Lisbon Treaty, the ECI has promoted political engagement, raised awareness of key issues and strengthened the EU’s democratic legitimacy. However, it faces significant challenges, such as difficulty gathering the required support, low public awareness, bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of binding outcomes.

To be registered, an initiative must meet a set of formal criteria assessed by the Commission. If it does, the Commission registers the initiative, and the organisers can then begin collecting signatures. It is important to note that the Commission is not obliged to act on registered ECIs, which ultimately limits the potential impact of the initiative.

While the ECI promotes cross-border collaboration and increases citizen participation, its potential is hindered by limitations such as the complex administrative process and lack of guaranteed legislative action. The Commission plays a decisive role in both the registration and follow-up stages of an ECI, but its strict interpretation of admissibility requirements has drawn criticism. Examples of successful initiatives include ‘Right2Water’, which advocates for the human right to water and sanitation, and ‘Stop Vivisection’, which calls for an end to animal testing in the EU.

While the ECI has helped raise awareness and foster political participation, its overall effectiveness remains constrained. Improvements in accessibility, awareness, follow-up actions and support are essential to unlock its full potential as a tool for active citizenship in the EU.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Assessing the potential and challenges of the European Citizens’ Initiative‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Dans son livre « La traque de Hissène Habré », l'avocat américain Reed Brody révèle des détails inédits sur le processus qui a conduit à l'emprisonnement de Hissène Habré, condamné pour le meurtre et la violation des droits humains de centaines de milliers de personnes au Tchad, et explique en quoi l'arrestation d'Augusto Pinochet à Londres a été essentielle pour y parvenir.

Le Premier ministre français a perdu un vote de confiance, plongeant le Parlement dans une nouvelle période de chaos et d'incertitude.

Le succès diplomatique de Moscou en Chine et l'inaction de Trump ont enhardi Poutine, rapporte Steve Rosenberg.

The Russian leader has, however, drawn a red line on Ukraine’s NATO membership, a position he has repeatedly underlined

The verdict follows a string of arrests of opposition leaders, rights activists and journalists, raising concern among Western allies

The rise reinforces expectations that the European Central Bank will keep rates unchanged at its next monetary policy meeting on 11 September

The Swedish Dementia Association says improved treatments are essential, but not at the cost of patients' personal integrity, or ethical conduct

Belgium is lining up with other Western governments promising to recognise Palestine

Le Pen blamed President Emmanuel Macron for France's "deeply toxic" politics

Ukraine has learned its lessons from the controversy, says a senior minister

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.

In today’s edition: Germany slamming von der Leyen’s military ambitions, Italy considering a fiscal escape clause to boost defence spending, enlargement talks stalling in Copenhagen, Brussels shelving its safe countries list, and a petition pushing the EU to act on abortion access