R3 A8: Updated Young Green vision on European defense policy

The past three years have redefined how we think about security and defense in
Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has brought the topic to the
forefront of our politics. In these times we are faced with simplistic answers
to these challenges from the right. This is why a green perspective on just,
human-centered security framework is needed more than ever.

Facing security threats

Faced with security challenges from Russia, as well as international instability
and increasing hostility from the United States since Donald Trump's election
for a second term, Europe is for the first time in decades forced to take
responsibility for its defense.

However, European security should not be a matter of mindless increase in
military spending. It must be focused on ensuring the interoperability of
European armies. In total European countries already invest a lot in their
military. A new security architecture for Europe needs to be created to ensure
strategic autonomy. This should give us the capability to defend ourselves.
However, that is not the case, since almost all of this money is spent
inefficiently, as our capabilities are spread across 27 different armies.
Instead, new mechanisms are needed for the joint procurement of military
vehicles and equipment that would allow for saving billions of euros. Other
forms of closer cooperation are also required such as joint military research
and development, joint acquisition, procurement, maintenance and training.

Investment must be smart, addressing modern warfare methods such as cyber-
attacks on hospitals, water systems, energy grids, or communication
infrastructure which can paralyze societies, cause civilian deaths, and
destabilize entire regions — without a single shot being fired and electoral
interference that divide our societies. These attacks blur the lines between
peace and war. We need to focus on new technologies, not outdated ones like
landmines. Investing in European security now will reduce long-term costs by
building a unified defense to protect the EU, our citizens, values, and
democracy.

Solidarity with movements for disarmament,
decolonization, demilitarization, and climate
justice

Legacy of military governance, patriarchal institutions and authoritarian
structures continue to shape the way security and peace are defined and for
whom. In Eastern Europe Roma communities are over-policed and systemically
excluded from policy processes. LGBTQIA+ people face harassment in both military
structures and police services. Migrants and refugees are treated as threats to
be managed, rather than people whose safety should be defended. Demilitarisation
starts with dismantling patriarchal, colonial power structures in security
systems. We need policies that center the voices and needs of Indigenous
peoples, people of color, LGBTQIA+ communities, and all those fighting on the
frontlines.

Justice in defense means confronting everyday inequalities within it. Women in
the military still face ill-fitting gear and a lack of menstrual hygiene
planning — reinforcing that they’re outsiders in systems built for men. These
are not side issues; they’re frontline concerns. Armed forces must be built on
equity and dignity—and remain under strict democratic oversight.

The climate perspective should not be forgotten when discussing security. Recent
natural disasters, such as the floods in Valencia and Porto Alegre, prove that
no European or Global Community can be safe if we don’t mitigate climate change
and adapt to its effects. We strongly condemn the new European Commission
reduced climate ambition and encourage our governments to ramp up measures to
accomplish emission reduction targets on time. Moreover, efforts to increase our
security capabilities must go hand in hand with securing critical natural
resources, such as water, for everyone, being prepared to respond to any
emergency, and protecting civil society. The carbon footprint of the armies and
defense industry is also an issue that must be tackled.

A comprehensive end to austerity politics

The same political logic that leads to underfunded armies leads to crumbling
infrastructure, and inadequate climate adaptation. It is a systemic issue —
rooted in decades of neoliberal policies that prioritize austerity,
privatisation and profit over well-being. We reject the false dichotomy that
says governments must choose between investing in defense or in public services
such as social welfare. Real security requires both, it cannot be built on the
backs of weakened social systems. We must expand the framework of what we call
national security. It should be redefined not just as defense against external
threat, but as the capacity of a society to care for itself. This includes
accessible healthcare systems, education that equip people not just with job
skills but with civic agency, climate-resilient infrastructure, as well as fair
and safe labor conditions across all sectors. A society cannot be secure if it
is not cared for.

International humanitarian law for the
protection of all people

International humanitarian treaties and conventions should not be considered in
isolation but as a framework for peace and security. Eliminating one sets a
dangerous precedent that could undermine all. We strongly condemn any attempts
to withdraw from these agreements, such as the Ottawa Convention. There must be
a renewed joint. European security approach that strengthens international
humanitarian treaties, especially the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel
mines, and expands these legal — including. These treaties are not
technicalities. They are cornerstones of human dignity and must be treated as
such. We call on the EU to lead a global recommitment to humanitarian
disarmament, and to resist every attempt to normalize inhumane and
indiscriminate weapons - these include anti-personnel landmines, cluster
munitions, chemical and biological weapons, autonomous lethal systems and
nuclear weapons.

Solidarity means dialogue

Solidarity cannot be selective. It must begin with listening but also with
honesty. If the EU claims to build a peace-oriented and ethical security policy,
it must confront its own complicity in global violence. Criticizing U.S.
militarism while remaining silent about the role of EU member states. Some of
them are the world’s largest arms exporters, including to authoritarian regimes
and governments actively violating human rights. That is not solidarity. It is
hypocrisy. It means acknowledging that security concerns vary across Europe, and
that Central and Eastern European states, especially Ukraine, whose perspectives
must help in shaping collective defense policy.

To prevent the entrenchment of profit-driven military-industrial complexes in
Europe,governments must actively challenge the neoliberal mindset that
prioritizes the never ending drive for increased privatization over public
interest. This entails asserting stronger democratic control over the defence
sector, including public oversight and policies that prioritize genuine security
needs over private profit. This industry is not a long-term solution to the de-
industrialisation of the EU. Furthermore, protecting workers’ rights is
critical.

Conclusion

To build true security in Europe and beyond, we must move away from militarised
responses and instead take concrete steps toward justice, care, and cooperation.
This means strengthening international humanitarian law. We should invest in
social infrastructure like healthcare, education, and housing, and include
marginalized voices in every level of security decision-making. It means ending
arms trade to regimes that violate human rights, like Israel, closing legal
loopholes that allow inhumane weapons to proliferate, and reallocating public
funds away from military expansion toward climate adaptation and public safety.
Europe has a responsibility to defend life in all its forms. The path to true
security lies not in fortifying borders or stockpiling arms, but in protecting
people, sustaining ecosystems, and ensuring justice across all communities. It
is time to reimagine security as collective care because no one is safe until we
all are.

FYEG Calls to:

• Create a cost-efficient united military framework, which is built on
  European unity in military and security.

• Ensure European military independence from the increasingly hostile
  partnership with the USA.

• Commit with climate pledges and implement Degrowth as a must to keep all
  European communities safe from natural disasters and resource scarcity.

• Reaffirm our support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. And
  give support to the deployment of just peace in Ukraine.

• Reaffirm support to all oppressed peoples on Earth such as Palestine but
  also other forgotten conflicts such as Sahara and Kurdistan by ending our
  complicity with oppressive regimes and being firm advocates for peace and
  human rights not just within our borders but also abroad.
  Reaffirm the right of digital privacy of all citizens from oversight and tracking by governments.

• We propose that beyond the increase in European military capabilities, it
  is necessary to focus on our strategic autonomy. The main points to
  address are achieving energy self-sufficiency by eliminating dependence on
  Russian and American fossil fuels through the deployment of renewables;
  having the capacity to supply critical rare earth elements essential for
  European technological development and the energy transition; and
  establishing a strong European tech industry to prevent our data from
  being stored outside European territory and our communication networks
  from being vulnerable to attacks.

• Keep loyal to our values which are peaceful conflict resolution, the
  promotion of peace and human-centered policies, diplomatic conflict-
  solving and respect to International Law as overcoming colonialism and
  establishing equal relationships between all (people) on Earth.