European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe needed to reduce “overdependencies” in energy, defence and supply chains during a panel discussion at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, Armenia.
Speaking in response to a question from Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, von der Leyen said Europe had learnt over the past four years “how vulnerable we are when we have overdependencies”, as cited by the Commission on Monday.
She cited reliance on imported fossil fuels as one of the main risks, saying energy had become a “choke hold” for Europe amid turmoil in global markets and conflict in the Middle East.
The volatility of global energy prices was “painfully hurting our competitiveness”, she added.
Von der Leyen said the EU should build energy “reliance” around “homegrown, cheaper and predictable” sources including renewables such as wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and biomass, as well as nuclear power. She also said electrification across the EU was needed.
Defence spending and trade links
On security and defence, von der Leyen said Europe needed to be able “to stand up for ourselves” and described this as “long overdue”, according to the Commission’s account of her intervention.
She said up to €800 billion would be mobilised by 2030 to address gaps in security and defence.
The Commission president also called for a “credible deterrence”, saying it was the best prevention against potential military aggression.
She added that stronger security and defence should be built “together with Ukraine”.
Von der Leyen said “European independence does not mean to be inward-looking”, arguing instead for closer ties with “like-minded partners” and stable supply chains.
She noted the EU had intensified its network of free trade agreements in recent years, citing Latin America, India and Australia, and said she would travel to Mexico with António Costa.
