Video message by President von der Leyen at the 5th European Defence and Security Conference

Distinguished guests,

Just 7 months ago, this Commission put forward our Readiness 2030 plan. To boost our military capabilities and defence industrial base.

Because we all know that the defence of Europe is our responsibility. And we can feel the sense of urgency all across Europe. Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine is now in its fourth year. And we know from experience that he is a predator. One that can only be kept in check by a strong deterrence.

So it is imperative that when it comes to our own defence posture, we are coordinated, we are precise and we are fast.

At the end of the summer I toured the frontline Member States, all of which had applied for loans under SAFE. And I saw repeatedly how Russia and others are ramping up pressure on Europe. Border guards are attacked with Molotov cocktails. Shadow fleets stalk our seas. And Russian drones increasingly violate European airspace.

On the frontline, you can see the stark reality of why strengthening Europe's defence posture is so crucial.

19 member states applied for SAFE. That is 150 billion EUR in total for joint procurement to make our Europe stronger, to make our Union safer. Member States are now working on their national plans so that we can maximise the benefit of the loans.

Additionally, 16 countries have asked for budget flexibility to boost defence spending. That's up to 800 billion euros for defence until 2030.

With Readiness 2030, we are creating the economies of scale to accelerate production. To strengthen our own industrial base, and to enable investment in the Ukrainian defence industry. Because we all know that Ukraine must stay strong, for our neighbourhood to stay strong too.

SAFE is just one part of our plan. Our defence Omnibus will cut red tape to help companies increase efficiency and accelerate production. And the next budget proposes a ten-fold increase in funding for military mobility. And a five-fold increase in defence investment. Because a strong defence industry means a credible deterrence.

This month, we will also present a Defence Readiness Roadmap to the European Council. With milestones and targets to achieve full defence readiness by 2030. Because we all know: Only what gets measured gets done.

And we encourage Member States to cooperate on flagship projects, like for example the Eastern Defence Shield where we can create together a drone wall. With pan-European projects, we will further strengthen our defences and underline our unity.

The new roadmap will also set out how Europe can become a defence tech powerhouse. To be successful, we must be at the cutting-edge of technology. We must build an ecosystem of industry, tech start-ups, academia, and primes. And create a more agile, world-leading defence sector.

To be a powerhouse, we need to identify and nurture new European defence tech champions. I am delighted to see reports of three European start-ups valued at more than 1 billion euro. These are real European success stories on how to scale up.

Our primes must invest more in start-ups, to turn their innovative concepts into battle-ready products. Here, Ukraine can share vital firsthand knowledge from the battlefield that we can all benefit from.

And we must ensure that our civilian and military tech sectors work together more closely. Because the same technology plays an important role in both sectors – whether you think of satellites or cloud computing, for example.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Together we must continue to move forward, with the urgency, consistency and determination we have shown so far. To defend our continent and to safeguard our future.

Thank you.