Europe Must Rethink Maritime Security in Its Own Waters

The current security landscape in Europe’s home seas is increasingly defined by non-kinetic sabotage, drone activity, and threats to critical underwater infrastructure. While NATO remains the primary guarantor of territorial defense, the EU possesses unique regulatory and industrial tools that remain underutilized. Operation ASPIDES, the bloc’s Red Sea naval mission, has served as a strategic proving ground, exposing critical gaps in ad hoc force generation and a systemic reliance on reactive, rather than proactive, defense strategies.

To move beyond these limitations, the EU should prioritize a permanent maritime resilience architecture. By leveraging its financial and industrial capacity for joint procurement—ranging from electronic warfare systems to autonomous maritime platforms—the Union can address the capability shortages that currently hinder its naval readiness. Instead of attempting to replicate NATO’s military command structure, the EU should focus on integrating maritime domain awareness and coordinating regional minilateral coalitions. This shift toward proactive security, including enhanced port-state controls and systematic efforts to counter shadow fleets, would allow the bloc to address threats before they escalate into active conflict, ensuring that European maritime security is no longer merely a byproduct of external crisis response.