EU green rules ‘blocking preparations for Russian invasion’ – by Joe Barnes for the Telegraph – 05.06.25
- Michael Julien
- Jun 7
- 2 min read
Leaked letter from defence ministers says rules stop expansion of military bases and prevent fighter jet pilots from training.
Defence ministers warned that EU green rules were preventing fighter jet pilots from training. European countries have blamed EU environmental regulations for hindering their preparations for defending against a possible Russian invasion.
In a leaked letter obtained by The Telegraph, the nations’ defence ministers argued that the rules had stopped the expansion of military bases and prevented fighter jet pilots from training.
In a letter to Andrius Kubilius, the defence commissioner, the ministers said it was clear that EU legislation must “not prevent member states’ armed forces from carrying out necessary activities to become operationally ready. But right now, it does.”
They said this was “mainly (but not exclusively) in the areas of procurement legislation, nature conservation and environmental protection, and more generally the administrative burden on defence organisations deriving from various EU legal acts”.
The letter was signed by the Dutch, Swedish, German, Belgian, Czech, Latvian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Finnish, Estonian and Danish governments.
In 2023, the European commission published its Greening the Armies report, highlighting ways in which militaries present a challenge to tackling climate change.
It pushed for European armed forces to consider more virtual training exercises, rather than real-world sessions, in order to cut down on emissions.
EU sources said directives on habitats, the protection of wild birds and waste were also standing in the way of European preparations for combating any Russian invasion.
The waste directive, for example, means militaries have to hit certain quotas for waste disposal – something that could hinder their ability to exercise with live munitions.
“At the moment, some EU legislation forms a direct obstacle to the armed forces,” the letter said, adding: “Credible deterrence in practice means growing the armed forces, which requires space for training, including flying, navigating and driving and building appropriate amenities.”
France’s Cazaux air base is one of the military bases designated as a Natura 2000 site.
The ministers called for every new piece of EU legislation to be screened for its impact on the continent’s rearmament efforts before it is allowed to enter into force.
“Making the EU legal framework fit for this time, horizontally and especially in non-defence specific areas, is a crucial piece of the readiness puzzle,” they concluded.
The EU has set itself a target to be prepared for a potential Russian invasion in five years time. It is hoped the bloc’s strategy will see around €800 billion (£674 billion) spent on defence in that period by relaxing debt rules and using joint debt to fund purchases.
The commission had promised to ease regulations that could hinder the rearmament efforts, but has yet to do so in any significant way. Sustainable finance rules, which state that investments must be made with the environment in mind, have also been considered a hindrance.
Last week, The Telegraph reported that a Swedish businessman attempting to open only the bloc’s second military grade TNT factory, used to produce artillery ammunition, land mines and grenades, was being held up by environmental permits.
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