National capitals have six months to assemble coalitions and funding.

European Union leaders pledged on Thursday to tackle Europe’s most acute defence shortfalls, agreeing to finalise coalitions for new military projects by the end of the year and to launch them in the first half of 2026. Implementation and oversight will rest with national leaders, while the European Defence Agency will support delivery and issue annual progress reports.

The European Commission has flagged nine capability gaps, including ammunition, missiles, air defence, cyber security, artificial intelligence, drones and military mobility. Brussels aims to translate its Defence Readiness Roadmap into a handful of flagship endeavours, such as the European Drone Defence Initiative, Eastern Flank Watch, a European Air Shield and a European Space Shield. The summit did not endorse specific initiatives, but concentrated political backing on anti-drone and wider air-defence capacities.

With only two deadlines set, EU capitals now have less than six months to agree who leads each coalition and how to finance them. The Netherlands and Latvia are positioning to lead the drone-defence coalition, while Germany has signalled interest in air and missile defence, ground combat and maritime defence. France intends to lead or join five coalitions, prioritising air defence, artillery and space. Portugal’s António Costa, President of the European Council, described the agreement on priorities as tangible progress.

Financing is expected to be stitched together with the European Commission acting as facilitator, aligning projects with tools such as up to €150 billion in SAFE loans and the €1.5 billion European Defence Industry Programme. France’s President Emmanuel Macron stressed that oversight should remain anchored in the EU treaties, while Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged stronger production planning and faster approvals to build EU-level competences. Costa said the discussions marked a decisive step towards greater European sovereignty.