The European Parliament has approved a proposal to launch an EU defence equipment development programme, which would allow the EU to spend money on defence for the first time ever.
The plan aims to deepen defence integration between European member states, which has long been a priority of the Juncker Commission. An EU defence equipment development programme will allow countries to collaborate on innovation in military technologies and apparatus, and also allow the EU to directly support such efforts by co-financing.
For example, collaborative projects like the development of marine surveillance drones could be co-finance directly by the EU through the new programme, which would receive €500m from the EU budget for the period 2019-2020.
How will the programme support collaborative defence projects?
The criteria to be allocated funding under the new EU defence equipment development programme will ensure a collaborative approach to defence. To be eligible to apply, projects must be undertaken by a consortium of at least three companies established in at least three European countries, and products which would violate international law will be ineligible.
The project further aims to synchronise member states’ defence efforts, and benefit from existing synergies in capabilities. A report published in December indicated that the EU’s defence spending is currently far less efficient than that of the US, suggesting that duplicated efforts are creating challenges.
How does this support the EU’s long-term defence ambitions?
The approval of the programme by the European Parliament was welcomed by French MEP Françoise Grossetête, who was in charge of steering the proposal through the parliament. She said: “This first European programme specifically dedicated to defence industrial projects will increase cooperation and strengthen the competitiveness of the EU defence industry.”
The announcement comes ahead of a proposed €13bn European Defence Fund which will be established as part of the EU’s next multiannual financial framework, for the period 2021-2027, and follows a €90m test programme which began in 2017 and will run until 2019.
