EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has scrapped plans to establish a high-level defence advisory group after strong opposition from member states, Euronews reported on Sunday.
Kallas unveiled the initiative last week during an informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Ireland, saying it would bring prominent political and military figures together to develop new approaches to Europe’s defence needs.
“The aim is to have some of the brightest minds on security and defence come together” to find faster and more effective ways to address Europe’s defence gaps, she said.
However, invitees to the group’s planned launch event in Brussels on Monday were informed on Sunday that it had been cancelled, according to Euronews.
The group would have had an advisory role and no authority to make decisions on behalf of EU member states.
Pressure on EU foreign policy
An unnamed EU official told Euronews that the need to strengthen European defence had not changed, saying Europe still needed to address how to improve its capabilities more quickly.
The reversal comes as the European External Action Service, which Kallas heads, faces growing institutional pressure.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has sought a greater role for the commission in shaping EU foreign policy, with the two officials reportedly differing over several major issues, including relations with Israel.
A recent Franco-German proposal would place the EEAS under the commission president’s direct supervision while giving the EU high representative a broader portfolio.
