Defense: The defense industry in the EU should become more independent

Defense: The defense industry in the EU should become more independent

According to the EU Commission’s wishes, member states should buy more weapons, armored vehicles and protective equipment from European companies. Can dependencies be reduced in this way?

European weapons for the defense of Europe: According to the European Commission, the EU must become significantly more independent of partners such as the USA when it comes to the procurement of armaments such as fighter jets, drones or ammunition. The Brussels authority presented a long-awaited strategy to strengthen the European defense sector, which is also a response to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

The member states should therefore set themselves the goal of spending at least 50 percent of the funds planned for the procurement of military equipment on the European internal market by 2030. According to EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, almost 80 percent of the funds currently flow to countries outside the EU and 60 percent to the USA alone. “This is no longer sustainable, if it ever was sustainable.”

The competition commissioner warned that the transatlantic balance must be shaped correctly. “Regardless of the electoral dynamics in the USA, we must take more responsibility for our own security,” she said, referring to a possible return of Donald Trump to the White House after the presidential election in November. Improved ability to act will also make the EU a stronger NATO ally.

The intention to strengthen the European arms industry is also a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. According to the Commission, this made the military and industrial deficits of the Europeans clear. A future focus should be on expanding the production of drones.

Collaboration should be rewarded

The Commission’s proposals also include financial incentives. If EU countries join forces on defense projects, they should be relieved of the additional costs. The goal should be to procure 40 percent of the equipment through collaboration by 2030. The Commission initially wants to mobilize 1.5 billion euros from the EU budget for the plans.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently spoke out in favor of EU states purchasing defense equipment together – just as the EU did when procuring vaccines during the pandemic. The idea behind the joint vaccine purchases was also to be able to negotiate better prices together.

Not only the EU should benefit from the Commission’s plans, but also Ukraine. It should be viewed as a member state, so to speak, in order to procure military equipment together with other EU member states.

In addition, according to the project, the European Investment Bank (EIB) should be allowed to provide money for the production of military goods. So far, the EU funding bank in the field of defense has only been active in dual-use technologies – so-called dual-use – which can be used civilly and militarily. These include, for example, helicopters or drones.

The Commission’s plans are receiving initial support from the German arms industry. “In view of the security policy framework, pooling arms efforts within the EU appears to be more necessary than ever,” said Hans Christoph Atzpodien from the Federal Association of the German Security and Defense Industries (BDSV) to the German Press Agency.

Criticism of the EU Commission’s proposals

The governments of the member states must now discuss the Commission’s proposals. It is still unclear whether they will receive support. In particular, the associated demarcation from the USA could meet with criticism.

The German Green MEP Hannah Neumann warned that more money was needed to implement the goals – including from Berlin. “It is clear to everyone that this costs money. But we must not pit armaments against pensions or the climate,” she said. Additional financial resources are therefore needed – Germany also urgently needs to rethink the debt brake.

The debt brake anchored in the German Basic Law only provides for a very limited net borrowing. Since the Federal Constitutional Court’s budget ruling, changes to the debt brake have been discussed again and again.

The foreign and peace policy spokeswoman for the Left in the European Parliament, Özlem Alev Demirel, criticized the Commission’s plans for not meeting the needs of the population in Europe. “Not war capability, but peace capability, that’s what it should actually be about.”

Source: Stern

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