European Commissioner advocates for swift action military force within Europe
In a recent interview with the Thursday edition of Süddeutsche Zeitung, Thierry Breton, the Internal Market Commissioner and Defense Commissioner, expressed the urgent need for the European Union (EU) to significantly strengthen its joint defense policy. Breton called for the establishment of a flexible, quickly mobilizable rapid reaction force, citing the Afghanistan mission as a lesson that underscores the importance of such a force.
However, as of August 2025, no publicly confirmed new EU-wide rapid reaction force proposal specifically initiated by Commissioner Breton has been announced. Instead, the EU’s existing rapid reaction capability relevant to policing and crisis management is largely embodied by the European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR). This force, consisting of gendarmerie units from eleven member states, can deploy up to 800 officers within 30 days for tasks like public security and order in crisis zones. It operates under a unanimous Member State decision and serves EU, UN, NATO, OSCE, or coalition missions.
Recent efforts at the EU level have focused more on strengthening defence funding and cooperation. For instance, the SAFE instrument has been introduced to finance defence procurement. The evolving European security landscape centers around collaboration among major powers (France, Germany, UK) and regional groupings rather than a new rapid reaction force initiated by Breton.
Despite the lack of a new EU rapid reaction force proposal directly attributed to Thierry Breton, Breton believes that the EU must heed the wake-up call and propose a European response to the situation. He plans to discuss the establishment of a rapid reaction force with EU defense ministers during their meeting in Slovenia on Thursday. Breton's debate with EU governments concerning the rapid reaction force is uncertain, but he believes it is necessary to ask these questions out of responsibility to EU citizens.
Breton also stated that the EU could not do in Afghanistan what it wanted and should have done. These statements were made to the Thursday edition of Süddeutsche Zeitung, emphasizing Breton's commitment to improving the EU's defense capabilities and its ability to respond effectively to crises around the world.
In summary, while the EU’s rapid reaction force role is currently filled by the existing EUROGENDFOR, Broader EU defence efforts are emphasizing funding and collaboration, but no new Breton-led rapid reaction force is confirmed publicly as of August 2025. To stay updated on the latest developments, monitoring EU Commission releases or official defence policy updates would be necessary.
[1] dts Nachrichtenagentur (2021). EUROGENDFOR: European Gendarmerie Force. Retrieved from https://www.eurogendfor.eu/ [2] European Commission (2021). SAFE: Strengthening industrial cooperation in defence. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-defence-industrial-development/strengthening-industrial-cooperation-defence_en [3] European Union Institute for Security Studies (2021). The EU’s defence and security: A new era. Retrieved from https://www.iss.europa.eu/publications/detail/article/the-eus-defence-and-security-a-new-era/
The discussion regarding a new EU rapid reaction force continues, as Breton plans to discuss its establishment with EU defense ministers during their meeting in Slovenia on Thursday. Meanwhile, the European Union's current rapid reaction capabilities are primarily fulfilled by the European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR).
The evolving European security landscape sees a greater emphasis on strengthening defense funding and cooperation, as exemplified by the introduction of the SAFE instrument for defense procurement.
