The EU 2030 defence plan promotes an increase in internal joint expenditure
PARIS - The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, is pushing member states to increase spending on joint defence purchases within the 27-nation bloc as part of a plan to build a credible military deterrent against Russia by 2030.
Up to €150 billion ($163 billion) in EU-guaranteed loans will be available for joint procurement from the European defence industry by two or more member states or one member state with partner countries including Norway, Switzerland, and Ukraine, according to a defence white paper published on 19 March.
The 23-page document called for an increase in defence spending and identified critical areas for investment including air defence, military mobility, drones and strategic enablers.
The plan for now excludes the UK, Turkey and the US, although the commission stated that entities and products from other partner countries may be eligible for joint procurement, subject to an agreement with the EU on financial conditions and security of supply.
"We have this window of opportunity to really strengthen the European defence industry," Kaja Kallas, the EU's top foreign affairs and security policy official, told a press conference in Brussels. "What we also see with Ukraine, if they use weapons that are not produced in Ukraine, then sometimes there are limitations on how you can use those weapons. Your military forces really need to have free hands in this regard."
Kallas said the EU is working on a defence and security partnership with the UK, and the high representative said he 'really hopes' for results in May, when the EU and the UK are scheduled to hold a bilateral summit to strengthen their ties. The white paper calls the UK an 'essential European ally' with whom security and defence cooperation should be increased.
The White Paper calls for the creation of an EU market for defence equipment, simplifying and harmonising the rules for intra-EU purchases and transfers of defence-related products, as well as the mutual recognition of certifications and permits.
Kallas said that the international order is undergoing "changes on a scale not seen since 1945," and the moment is crucial for European security. He said the Russian economy is "in full war mode," with the country investing in a long-term plan of aggression, and the EU needs a long-term plan to arm Ukraine to prevent future attacks.
The white paper includes three mentions of the United States, one referring to the call for Europe to take more responsibility for its own defence, one on the transatlantic ally shifting its focus from Europe to other regions of the world, and one on the reduction of the country's historical role as the main guarantor of security.
The priority for Europe must now be the implementation of the proposed plan, said Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space.
Russian President Vladimir "Putin will not be discouraged if we read him the white paper, he will be discouraged if we turn the white paper into action, and if we use it to build very real drones, tanks and artillery for our defence," Kubilius said.
Europe has three areas to focus on, according to Kubilius: the massive production of what the continent already produces, such as conventional munitions; the development of strategic enablers such as air-to-air refuelling capabilities and space-based intelligence; and defence products of common European interest such as air defence systems.
The committee will work on defining options for defence projects of common European interest, with the aim of presenting these options to the European Council, possibly in June, Kubilius said. "The member states must decide what kind of defence projects of common European interest they are ready to i
European Commission earlier this month, proposed a plan which could reportedly free up around EUR 800 billion in defence spending by member states over the next four years. In addition to the plan for EUR 150 billion in EU-guaranteed loans, the proposal includes the relaxation of fiscal rules that could be used by countries to increase defence spending.
The EU has gaps in air and missile defence capabilities, artillery systems, munitions and missiles, drones and anti-drone systems, military mobility, artificial and quantum intelligence, electronic warfare and strategic enablers, according to Kallas.
"All this costs a lot of money," Kallas said. "The point of the white paper is that we can do it together, because it is not just about national defence, but actually regional." He declined to say what percentage of GDP EU countries should spend on defence, merely saying that "the new level of ambition is higher than 2%."
The white paper on defence proposes that the commission act as a central purchasing body on behalf of the member states, if requested, although Kallas said that the EU has facilities such as the European Defence Agency, which he said was underused.
Joint tendering "is one of the most important tools for us to try to decrease the systemic problems in our defence industry, which is very fragmented," Kubilius said. "Also, we are spending a lot of money outside of our defence industry."
Published by Condoralex
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