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Security and defence were high on the agenda when Denmark took over the six-month Presidency of the European Union and on Thursday, the 27 members of the College of Commissioners travelled to Aarhus, to mark the start of the new tenure.
With defence a priority, the Scandinavian country intends to significantly push ahead with rearmament efforts.
“If we are not prepared to defend our continent, who are we as Europeans?” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen asked.
“We need to rearm Europe by 2030 by the latest, and I look forward to the roadmap on how to achieve this goal, so that we can develop common capabilities, strengthen our defence industry, make joint procurements and remove all barriers and obstacles in our way,” she added.
For the Danish leader, the EU’s security largely depends on Ukraine. “Right now, it is the army in Ukraine that is protecting Europe,” Frederiksen said on Thursday at a press conference attended by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
She emphasised that Kyiv is part of the European family and therefore called on member states to change their mindset when it comes to military aid.
“When we deliver arms to Ukraine, instead of seeing it as a donation, we need to think of it as part of our rearmament,” Frederiksen insisted.
Linking security and migration
Denmark believes that migration policy is also a question of security. According to the Danish Prime Minister, the European system is failing, and she is calling for the restoration of border controls.
“On these issues, we now have concrete proposals on the table, proposals that could also pave the way for return centres and asylum procedures outside the EU,” she said.
Speaking on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen listed which areas Denmark needs to make progress on.
“Under your presidency, we will be able to make progress on our proposal for a return, on the concept of safe third countries and safe countries of origin,” von der Leyen said.
Responding to trade turbulence
The Danish Presidency and the European Commission also agreed competitiveness should be another priority for Copenhagen. Here again, Ursula von der Leyen listed the issues on which she hoped developments would be made.
“We must therefore give a major boost to the European Savings and Investment Union, which will be one of our joint priorities,” von der Leyen said.
She emphasised that the cost of energy is a key challenge facing the European Union in the face of its international competitors. Von der Leyen said she intends to present “plans to improve the European grid, storage capacity and interconnections.”
Beyond this six-month roadmap, the challenge for Denmark will be to maintain the unity of the 27 member states, and ensure that the EU speaks with a unified voice to meet the geopolitical, trade and climate challenges.
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