Nicosia, Cyprus. European Parliament member Costas Mavrides said Cyprus could host a European crisis management centre to address migration, climate emergencies and regional instability, citing the island’s location.
Proposal for a permanent European structure
Speaking in a Philenews podcast, Mavrides, a DIKO MEP and member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), said Cyprus faces a combination of challenges that require a permanent European structure.
“Here we have irregular migration flows, climate change , fires and geopolitical upheaval in our region,” he said, adding that “all of this requires a European regional centre”.
Strategic autonomy and the EU presidency
Mavrides said the proposal is part of a broader discussion on European strategic autonomy, which he described as an “undeniable necessity” for the European Union, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He said Cyprus currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, a role he said is often misunderstood but can still influence priorities.
“The presidency belongs to the member state. It does not belong to a leader or a head of government,” he said, adding that the presiding country can shape the agenda and coordinate working groups and ministerial councils.
He said Cyprus can use these tools to contribute to longer-term initiatives carried forward by subsequent presidencies, including a more regionalised model of European defence and security.
Regional approach to defence and reliance on the United States
Mavrides said European defence cannot be built quickly or uniformly across all member states and argued for gradual regional adaptations, an approach he said has also been acknowledged by the EU’s defence commissioner.
He said Europe’s reliance on the United States, particularly in defence through NATO, has become a strategic vulnerability.
“To disengage from a system where the Americans hold the upper hand was, until a few years ago, in itself a huge geopolitical repositioning issue for the European Union,” he said, adding that such a shift would require unprecedented defence spending by the bloc’s 27 member states.
What steps should EU member states take to advance a regional approach to crisis management and defence?
