EU Court of Auditors: 2030 defense readiness goal at risk due to US dependence, fragmented systems
The European Court of Auditors published a report on September 3 warning that the EU is unlikely to achieve its goal of defense readiness by 2030, citing continued dependence on the United States and the fragmentation of national defense systems. The audit, led by ECA member Marek Opiola, notes that despite a 79% rise in EU defense spending from 2020 to 2025, 78% of member states' defense procurement from February 2022 to June 2023 was conducted outside the bloc, with the United States accounting for 63% of that extra-bloc procurement.
Key points
- European Court of Auditors published the report on September 3, 2026
- ECA names dependence on the United States and fragmented national defense systems as key obstacles
- From February 2022 to June 2023, 78% of EU countries' defense procurement was conducted outside the bloc
- The United States accounted for 63% of extra-bloc procurement by EU countries in that period
- EU countries increased defense spending by 79% from 2020 to 2025
- The 2030 readiness target was set after intelligence warnings that Russia could be ready for a large-scale war in Europe around that time
- France and Germany abandoned a €100 billion joint fighter project over management disputes
Why it matters
The report explicitly questions whether the EU can credibly prepare itself to respond to a major military threat by 2030, a horizon now backed by European intelligence warnings that Russia could be ready for a large-scale war in Europe around that time. It frames 63% of EU countries' extra-bloc defense procurement going to the United States as a structural vulnerability. It also quantifies a real ramp-up — a 79% rise in EU defense spending from 2020 to 2025 — alongside concrete integration failures such as the collapse of a €100 billion Franco-German fighter project. The findings connect directly to Ukraine: Kyiv is currently seeking an exemption from the EU's 'Buy European' rules to use part of a €90 billion EU credit to buy US Patriot interceptors.
What happened
The European Court of Auditors (ECA), the bloc's independent external auditor, published a report on EU defense policy on September 3, 2026. The audit was led by ECA member Marek Opiola. The report concludes that achieving defense readiness by 2030 remains a difficult task because of continued dependence on the United States and the fragmentation of national defense systems, compounded by industrial bottlenecks.
According to the report, between February 2022 and June 2023, 78% of EU member states' defense procurement was conducted outside the bloc, and the United States accounted for 63% of that extra-bloc procurement. The ECA acknowledged that buying American weapons immediately after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was justified by the urgent need for critical military capabilities, but stressed that in the long term the EU must develop its own defense production.
Opiola said the EU could still make significant progress if it sharply increased defense spending and rapidly expanded ammunition production. The report notes that EU countries increased defense spending by 79% from 2020 to 2025, and that the EU is better prepared today than in 2019, when the previous comparable audit was conducted.
Background
The EU set the goal of reaching defense readiness by 2030 in response to intelligence warnings that Russia could be ready for a large-scale war in Europe around that time. The 2030 target was set the year before this report. EU countries completed their promise to deliver one million artillery shells to Ukraine in November 2024, eight months behind schedule.
The EU's 'Buy European' rules for joint defense spending define European industry broadly, including producers from closely linked states such as Ukraine and Norway. After a recent series of Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, Kyiv asked for an exemption from those rules to use part of a €90 billion EU credit to purchase US Patriot interceptors. France and Germany have abandoned a €100 billion joint fighter project due to disputes between companies over management and control. The audit was led by ECA member Marek Opiola.