Sweden urges EU to simplify drone procurement standards

By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen COPENHAGEN, Oct 3 (Reuters) – Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called on the European Union to simplify procurement standards for drones while maintaining that responsibility for strengthening anti-drone capabilities should lie with individual member states rather than the bloc as a whole. European leaders met in Copenhagen this week amid growing concerns over drone incursions, expressing support for bolstering drone defence measures across the region. Russia has denied responsibility for the incidents. Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a "drone wall" — a network of sensors and weapons designed to detect, track, and neutralise drones, though details on costs and implementation remain unclear. "The EU is not a defence organization. (…) Every country needs to build up these capabilities, and then we need to cooperate very closely to be able to detect drones," Kristersson told Reuters in an interview in Copenhagen late on Thursday. He added that "EU has a very good potential of simplifying, for example, simplifying procurement standards." Sweden, home to defence manufacturer Saab, which specializes in anti-drone technology, has emphasized that decisions about equipping national armed forces should align with NATO targets rather than fall under EU jurisdiction. European officials have accused Russia of escalating airspace violations, although Moscow has frequently denied responsibility for incidents. Kristersson noted that EU nations are prepared to act decisively. "We don't do anything carelessly, but we won't hesitate to use the force needed to bring down vehicles or threats that actually violate our (borders)," he said. To enhance security at the Copenhagen meetings, Sweden and other European allies deployed anti-drone measures. Sweden's contribution was coordinated between Kristersson and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, he said. (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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