As of: March 5, 2024, 5:55 p.m
By: Bona Hyun
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EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in favor of expanding a European arms industry.
© Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa
Plans for a stronger EU defense appear to be making progress.
The EU Commission wants to present a plan to EU countries today to boost the military industry.
Brussels – Signal to Russia: The EU wants to strengthen the European defense industry because of the war in Ukraine.
The plans are becoming more and more concrete.
According to reports, the European Commission plans to present its proposals on Tuesday (March 5).
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it wants to switch to “war economy mode,” according to EU circles.
EU prepares to switch to “war economy” mode – plans are presented
EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton wants to encourage EU countries to buy more weapons from European companies and help those firms increase their production capacity, EU officials say.
Breton calls for the European defense industry to take more risks.
“In the current geopolitical context, Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, regardless of the outcome of the elections that take place every four years among our allies,”
Reuters
news agency quoted Breton as saying.
The Ukraine war prompted many European countries to increase their defense spending.
But EU officials argue that purely national efforts are less effective and are calling for EU bodies to play a larger role in defense industrial policy.
Because of the Ukraine war: EU apparently wants to present strategies for a stronger arms industry
Breton's proposals include, among other things, the development of a program that will enable the purchase of military equipment and military services within the EU states - the American "Foreign Military Sales" serves as a model.
Another proposal stipulates that the EU can oblige European arms companies to give priority to European contracts in times of crisis.
To date, member states have sourced a large proportion of their military equipment from third countries.
78 percent of the arms purchases that EU countries made between February 2022 and June 2023 were made outside Europe, according to a document containing the EU proposals, which the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
quoted a few days ago.
Of these orders, 63 percent went to the USA alone.
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The Commission also wants to subsidize the production capacity of the European defense industry with one billion euros - through loans and 100 million euros from public funds - to support the industry even when demand is weak.
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The proposals should be carefully examined, including by NATO.
The organization had previously stated that it welcomed the EU's efforts to support European defense.
At the same time, however, she warned that they must not overlap or collide with the work of the transatlantic alliance.
Commission officials said they wanted Kyiv to take part in proposed new programs to promote shared procurement and production capacity, even though Ukraine is not part of the EU.
“Our job is to treat Ukraine as if it were a member state,” said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
However, the official word is that the package will create a legal framework that would enable much greater coordinated spending in the coming years, provided the EU is willing to provide the money for it.
Von der Leyen comments on the common European arms industry
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had indicated plans for a new strategy.
On Wednesday (February 28) in Strasbourg, she spoke out in favor of expanding the European arms industry and increasing arms production.
The focus must be on the principle: “Europe must spend more, spend better, spend Europeanly.”
Von der Leyen also said that they would examine how guarantees could make firm purchase contracts easier.
This means the defense industry can rely on stable orders in the long term and have more planning security.
The EU Commission President also made it clear in an interview with the
Financial Times
that she wants to use the EU states' growing investments in weapons, ammunition and soldiers to build a new European defense industry.
(bohy with agencies)