Towards the EU’s Defence Autonomy: The “New” European Defence Agency amid Operational and Institutional Challenges

Abstract

Abstract: Towards the EU’s Defence Autonomy: The “New” European Defence Agency amid Operational and Institutional Challenges – On 12 May 2026, the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board adopted a decision marking a qualitative shift in the Agency’s nature, transforming it into an operational EU body in the field of defence. This contribution contends that such a transformation is a consequence of the step change undergone by the Common Security and Defence Policy since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and, more particularly, following the adoption of Readiness 2030 in March 2025 and the consequent undertaking to develop the EU's autonomous defence capability by 2030. It examines the substance of the transformation, highlighting its alignment with Readiness 2030 and the related Roadmap, and assesses the legal basis of the Steering Board’s decision, verifying whether an internal act of the Agency is sufficient to sustain an operational expansion of such scope. The analysis identifies two critical concerns that may jeopardise its completion. The first relates to the risks arising from a temporal mismatch between the EDA's transformation timeline and the deadlines laid down for the implementation of Readiness 2030. The second pertains to the institutional positioning of the “new” EDA within the fragmented institutional framework of the EU defence. Finally, the contribution addresses the most recent developments, with regard to the European Council conclusions of 18-19 June 2026 and the role they envisage for the “new” EDA in the pursuit of the EU’s autonomous defence capability by 2030.

Keywords: European Union; Common Security and Defence Policy; European Defence Agency; Readiness 2030; Defence capabilities.