Defence, Portolano: 'Severe shortages in ammunition, big gap to close'

The general recalled that for national needs, 'taking into account what has been donated to Ukraine and the capacity that exists today in what is the national inventory, there is quite a gap to be filled, which, however, requires, beyond the available funds, the ability to produce according to my spending capacity what is needed to replenish the stockpiles. It is a combination: the timing is relative to a combination of spending capacity on the one hand, but at the same time production capacity on the other hand'.

At this stage it is important to give meaning to the words. "Let us define what we mean by European defence: defence of the European Union or European defence of the European continent? The defence of the European Union, from my point of view,' Portolano said, 'is limiting, relegated only to the 27 states that now use mechanisms that are quite restrictive, even in the field of what is development, innovation and research. For me, however, when we talk about Eurodefence of the European continent, we are talking about the European pillar of the Alliance. In this context we must be complementary to the Atlantic Alliance'.

"If we want to be effective in the area of European defence in a complementary manner to NATO,' the general clarified, 'we need to set up a command and control structure that does not exist today,' he added. 'The EU has the planning and conduct command but with extremely limited capabilities. We need to set up the figure of a single European commander who is the referent at the political level, based on what should be the foreign policy, the defence policy of the European continent, therefore the European Union plus the remaining countries'.

Portolano then spoke of the need to 'create a standardisation network or standardisation processes between all countries. Today it exists within NATO, as there are standard processes and documents that impose standardisation between all countries, but it does not exist in that which binds the European Union to the rest of the NATO countries'. And again: "A network of classified information, an intelligence network does not exist today at the European level, something that exists instead at the NATO level, just as there is no fusion centre that is able to collect data, elements, information that can be made available to all the countries that are part of this European defence structure".

The context is characterised by a proliferation of security threats. "It is clear to everyone," the general continued, "how the current geopolitical and strategic framework continues to be marked by a profound change in the international balance with an obvious rift between countries that support the democratic model and those such as Russia, Iran, North Korea and others that promote authoritarian systems. This ideological divide is, moreover, intertwined with open competition for access to energy resources and raw materials with proxy interference on the main trade routes, and is also manifested in the destabilising conflicts taking place in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as in forms of contention often below the threshold of conflict'.

According to Portolano, 'this is a framework in which the enlarged Mediterranean is taking on a renewed centrality, acting as a focal point for vital and strategic national security interests in Europe and more specifically on the Alliance's southern flank'.