COMECE Urges 5-Point EU Security Strategy Balancing Defense With Diplomacy

2 articles · Updated · Fondation Schuman · Jul 13

COMECE’s secretariat proposed a five-point framework for the EU’s future security strategy, arguing stronger defence must be paired with diplomacy, conflict prevention and peacebuilding rather than treated as an end in itself.
Russia’s war against Ukraine, hybrid threats, cyberattacks, terrorism and weakening multilateralism are driving the push, but the paper warns rising military spending is outpacing funding for prevention and peace efforts.
The recommendations call for a broader threat assessment beyond military risks, more resources in the next EU budget for mediation and humanitarian tools, and tighter democratic oversight of defence spending and arms exports.
AI and autonomous weapons received special attention, with COMECE urging meaningful human control over lethal-force decisions, clear accountability and stricter ethical rules for military technology.
The group also wants the security plan embedded in a wider European Peace Strategy, keeping the EU’s defence buildup aligned with its founding role as a peace project.

Sources

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Europe’s 2026 Security Strategy: From Peacebuilding Ideals to Strategic Autonomy

Overview

COMECE has published 'A European Security Strategy at the service of peace' to guide EU policymakers toward a holistic and ethically grounded security approach. Building on its consistent advocacy for the EU to uphold its foundational commitment to peace, especially during periods of war and instability, COMECE urges the EU to renew its founding vision with 'creative fidelity.' Their long-standing perspective forms the basis for new recommendations that seek to embed peace as the central strategic objective of any EU security framework, moving beyond military responses and addressing the root causes of conflict in an increasingly tense global environment.

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