Federalists Press EU Defense Chief on ‘28th European Army’ and Security Council

European federalists have presented EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius with a plan for a permanent “28th European Army,” a European Security Council and at least 50% of member states’ defense investment going to joint programs.

The Action Committee for the United States of Europe handed Kubilius a programme of proposals during an October 27 meeting in Brussels, according to the Union of European Federalists. Kubilius welcomed the discussion, but the plan has not been adopted as EU policy.

Federalists Meet EU Defense Commissioner in Brussels

The meeting was held at Kubilius’s invitation. High Patrons and members of the Action Committee for the United States of Europe took part, the Union of European Federalists said. The document they presented is dated October 26 and titled “European Defence and the European Security Council: Programme of Proposals of the Action Committee for the United States of Europe for Commissioner Kubilius.”

The programme lists more than 20 proposals, ordered from measures that fit within the current EU treaties to those that would need political breakthroughs or treaty reform.

After the meeting, Kubilius wrote on X: “Delighted to meet group of prominent Europeans dedicated to European Defence. We live in crucial times and solutions to our challenges will define how next generations of Europeans will live. Much needed discussion and ideas from the Patrons of the United States of Europe.”

His post praised the discussion and the ideas, but did not endorse any specific proposal, including the army.

Plan Would Turn Rapid Deployment Capacity Into ‘28th European Army’

The programme proposes to scale up the EU’s Rapid Deployment Capacity, which was declared operational in 2025 with up to 5,000 troops for crisis-management operations outside the Union. It would grow toward the 50,000–60,000 troops set by the Helsinki Headline Goal in 1999.

Over time, the document says, this force should become the nucleus of a “28th European Army,” described as “a genuinely European force permanently placed at the EU’s disposal, complementary to national armies and in charge of territorial defence.”

The idea is not new. The committee’s March 2025 memorandum called for a Rapid Deployment Capacity of 60,000 soldiers that would become a “28th European Army” alongside the 27 national armies.

The new programme also calls for upgrading the EU’s Military Planning and Conduct Capability into a full EU military headquarters, which is currently capped at commanding one operation the size of a battlegroup of about 2,500 troops. It would also make the Eurocorps, a multinational headquarters based in Strasbourg, the EU’s permanent operational headquarters.

At Least Half of Defense Investment Would Go to Joint Programs

The first proposal is that member states direct at least 50% of defense investment to joint European programs, using existing EU tools such as SAFE, EDIP and the European Defence Fund. The programme says this requires moving beyond the current escape clause in the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact, which should apply only to joint EU projects and not to national rearmament.

It estimates that a lack of cooperation costs Europe about €25 billion a year, and calls for common models of weapons systems and joint maintenance. It also says Europe should jointly develop strategic capabilities where it depends most on the United States, including secure satellite communications as an alternative to Starlink, airborne surveillance, air-to-air refueling and heavy transport.

On financing, the document proposes EU federal bonds backed by new own resources, and says a digital euro could be used to set up a defense bank. In the long term it proposes funding common defense from the ordinary EU budget after treaty reform.

Security Council Would Decide by Majority Among Willing States

The proposed European Security Council would be the political authority for participating states. It would authorize use of the Rapid Deployment Capacity, give strategic direction to commanders and coordinate intelligence assessments.

The programme argues that the European Council is too large and slow and that the Council of the EU needs unanimity on foreign and security policy. It proposes creating the body through enhanced cooperation among at least nine member states, switching to qualified majority voting within that group for decisions other than those with military or defense implications.

States with neutrality traditions, including Ireland, Malta and Austria, would stay outside while those positions prevent them from accepting collective defense commitments. The UK, Norway and Ukraine could be associated through a separate agreement among participating countries.

Plan Reaches Toward Federation and Keeps NATO Link

The longer-term proposals include ending national vetoes in foreign and security policy, giving the European Parliament more oversight, and treaty reform toward a European federation with a common defense. The document also opens a dialogue on placing French nuclear capabilities within a European framework, with shared financing from willing states.

The programme says the proposed European Defence System would be compatible with NATO and could serve as its European pillar. It proposes a formal EU-NATO coordination agreement to replace the Berlin Plus arrangements, and says the system could be mobilized if NATO is not activated, for example if the United States refused to act.

Kubilius Has Floated Similar Ideas

Kubilius has made related proposals himself. On January 11, 2026, he told a security conference in Sweden that the EU should consider a standing European military force of 100,000 troops and a European Security Council, Politico reported. He said Europe should be able to fight “as Europe, not just as collection of 27 national ‘bonsai armies’.”

In a February 13, 2026 interview with Politico in Munich, he called for “a rapid reaction force of 100,000 or 80,000 capability, which should replace American forces” if they reduce their presence in Europe. He said he was “quite skeptical, at least at this moment” about creating a European army that abandons national armies, and used the term rapid reaction force to avoid that connection. He also suggested a European Security Council of five or six large EU countries, possibly with the UK, plus rotating smaller members.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called the idea of a European army “extremely dangerous” because it could undermine NATO, according to Politico. After his January remarks, the European Commission said Kubilius was only “inviting reflection,” Euractiv reported.

Clash Report reported in July 2025 that the EU defense chief was heading to Washington over fears of U.S. military gaps in Europe, and in September that European defense officials said the continent is not prepared for a prolonged war with Russia.

Proposals Remain Outside Formal EU Policy

The federalists’ programme goes further than Kubilius’s public proposals by adding treaty reform toward a European federation, an end to national vetoes in foreign policy and financing through EU federal bonds. It is a position paper from a non-governmental group, and the EU has not adopted any of its recommendations.

Creating a permanent European army, a European Security Council or a binding 50% joint-investment target would require decisions by member states and, in some cases, changes to the EU treaties.