Marek Opiola
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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.