In view of the geopolitical environment, the EU states’ defense spending is still inadequate, while Europe’s defense industry is also struggling with access to private investment and market fragmentation. Mario Draghi is unsparing in his analysis of the status quo, but ultimately unsurprising. Duplicate structures, fragmentation and major deficits in the standardization of defense equipment are well known. The recommendations in the report under the chapter on defense are therefore more interesting. Among other things, Mario Draghi calls for further integration and consolidation of the defense industry, with a focus on critical and strategic areas.