Member States should put more money in armor
The European Commission is demanding higher wastes from the EU Member States. According to information from the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" (SZ), the Authority is planning a new European Defense Fund. In this way she reacts to the intensified security situation, the election victory of Donald Trumps in the USA and the threat of Brexit.
States should contribute to the fund in order to invest in joint projects in the future, such as in drones. The fund is part of an action plan on the European defense strategy developed by the EU Commission. The "SZ" report does not provide detailed information on the financial scope of the fund. According to the newspaper, the draft is available according to its own specifications.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had already announced in September to launch a European Defense Fund by the end of the year. The European armaments industry would have to work together more closely, with a potential for savings ranging from 25 to 100 billion euros a year, the Commissioner said.
The purpose of the fund is to make more efficient use of development spending. The decision on how much money and what techniques or equipment will be invested will, according to information from the "SZ", continue to meet the member countries.
This would be another exception to the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact. The Brussels authorities could therefore proceed with the defense expenditure in a way similar to the cost of dealing with the refugee crisis. This would help particularly economically battered countries like France and Italy.
However, the first measures of the Europeans are likely to be small: over the next five years 18 billion dollars will be spent on new armament technologies, while the EU Parliament has recently approved 90 million euros for a first research project for 2017 to 2019.
The desire for closer cooperation in armament questions is also a reaction of large EU countries such as Germany, France and Italy to the British's vote to leave the EU. In addition to France, the UK has the strongest contention in the EU.
States should contribute to the fund in order to invest in joint projects in the future, such as in drones. The fund is part of an action plan on the European defense strategy developed by the EU Commission. The "SZ" report does not provide detailed information on the financial scope of the fund. According to the newspaper, the draft is available according to its own specifications.
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| Tanks of the Bundeswehr battalion 393 at the station in Sondershausen (Thuringia). |
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had already announced in September to launch a European Defense Fund by the end of the year. The European armaments industry would have to work together more closely, with a potential for savings ranging from 25 to 100 billion euros a year, the Commissioner said.
The purpose of the fund is to make more efficient use of development spending. The decision on how much money and what techniques or equipment will be invested will, according to information from the "SZ", continue to meet the member countries.
Exception in the Stability Pact
However, to ensure that EU countries do not decide at national level but rather together through the Fund, there should be a special incentive: Investments running through the Defense Fund should be disregarded to a certain extent when calculating the budget deficits of the respective countries , The newspaper reported.This would be another exception to the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact. The Brussels authorities could therefore proceed with the defense expenditure in a way similar to the cost of dealing with the refugee crisis. This would help particularly economically battered countries like France and Italy.
Trump and Brexit increase pressure on EU
According to the "SZ", the European Commission points out that the EU's defense expenditure has remained constant at around EUR 200 billion over the past decade, although the crises around the continent have been massively spreading in Libya, Syria and Ukraine for several years Have increased. The Europeans are under the pressure of the future US President Trump, who had exhorted them in the election campaign, much more for the defense.However, the first measures of the Europeans are likely to be small: over the next five years 18 billion dollars will be spent on new armament technologies, while the EU Parliament has recently approved 90 million euros for a first research project for 2017 to 2019.
The desire for closer cooperation in armament questions is also a reaction of large EU countries such as Germany, France and Italy to the British's vote to leave the EU. In addition to France, the UK has the strongest contention in the EU.
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