Μake us preferred on Google Activating the EU’s mutual defense clause, strengthening Europe’s defense industry and banning arms exports to countries that threaten member states or violate international law are at the core of the new European defense plan from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D).
The policy framework was presented by Giannis Maniatis, vice president of the group and head of PASOK’s members of the European Parliament. He stressed that Europe’s strategic autonomy must be given concrete content and operational capabilities.
The intervention is especially significant for Greece and Cyprus, since one of the main proposals concerns putting mutual defense assistance between member states into practice, with clear support mechanisms in case of an external attack.
Article 42.7 And European Solidarity In Practice
The first pillar of the plan is the real activation of Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union. It provides that if a member state is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other member states must give it aid and assistance by all the means in their power.
Maniatis is calling for this provision to be given specific operational mechanisms, procedures and structures, so that mutual defense does not remain a general political commitment.
In this context, he recalled his contribution to shaping the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), where specific operational measures to implement Article 42.7 were promoted for the first time. Particular importance is placed on the ability to mobilize Europe’s defense industry to support a member state attacked by a third country.
For Athens and Nicosia, the proposal has a clear geopolitical dimension. Stronger mutual assistance could offer a firmer European framework for protecting sovereignty and sovereign rights, at a time when security in the Eastern Mediterranean remains a critical issue.
European Preference In Weapons And Defense Technologies
The second pillar concerns strengthening Europe’s defense industry and establishing a clear European preference in defense procurement.
The S&D position is that European taxpayers’ money should go first to supporting European production, creating quality jobs and developing technological and industrial capabilities that will reduce dependence on third countries.
Maniatis places particular emphasis on the participation of all member states, as well as the real inclusion of small and medium-sized businesses in Europe’s defense production chain. According to this approach, strategic autonomy cannot rely solely on a few large defense groups.
The debate is of particular interest for Greece’s defense industry, since joint European programs and the participation of smaller companies can create new opportunities for production, technological cooperation and exports.
Banning Arms Exports To Countries That Threaten Europe
The third pillar is a ban on exporting European weapons to countries that threaten EU member states or violate international law.
The proposal directly links European defense production with the protection of European security. Maniatis argues that weapons systems built with European taxpayers’ money cannot end up in countries that act against the sovereignty or territorial integrity of EU states.
This position carries particular political weight for Greece, since it raises at the European level the question of consistency between defense cooperation, foreign policy and the protection of member states from threats.
A Common European Defense Without Retreating From The Social Model
The new policy paper, titled “A Progressive Vision for a Sovereign European Defence,” seeks to create a single framework for the defense policy of the Socialists and Democrats, the first in almost a decade.
Beyond strengthening military capabilities, it includes defending peace, resolving conflicts through diplomacy and protecting democratic institutions and critical infrastructure from hybrid attacks, cyberattacks and drone attacks.
It also covers joint funding of strategic infrastructure and strengthening social cohesion. The Socialists seek to link defense preparedness with preserving the European social model, rejecting the idea that higher defense spending must come at the expense of social protection.
Concluding his remarks, Maniatis summed up the political message of the new initiative: “Europe needs more defense, but above all more European defense.”
The question now is whether these policy positions will be turned into concrete European decisions, joint funding tools and binding mechanisms. For Greece, the key issue is whether European defense integration will also take on a practical role in protecting the borders, sovereignty and sovereign rights of member states.
