Poland, France, and Estonia have jointly appealed to the European Commission (EC) to mobilize “concrete” financing for arms projects in the European Union, particularly in the period leading up to the next EU budget, as reported in a document seen by the Polish Press Agency.
In the letter sent to the EU’s executive arm, Warsaw, Paris, and Tallinn wrote that the era of the peace dividend has come to an end and that Europe has entered a decisive decade for its security, which requires an urgent increase in Europe’s defense readiness.
The authors of the letter cited experts and intelligence services who warn that Russia will rebuild its power sooner or later; therefore, the revival of the EU defense industry and the acquisition of ammunition and combat capabilities by member states are of key importance for achieving a deterrent effect and, more broadly, for better preparation to face security challenges.
The three countries argue that a plan for financing defense projects should be developed as soon as possible and backed by appropriate funding.
Moreover, the letter said that the EU could mobilize financing for defense infrastructure projects that are difficult for member states to develop on their own, for instance, air and missile defense capabilities.
The three countries further wrote that to help overcome defense investment gaps and provide a strong foundation for the EU defense industry, the EC strategy should improve the long-term capacity of the EU defense industry to meet the needs of EU armed forces and improve the ability to rapidly increase production in times of crisis.
The authors of the letter cited experts and intelligence services who warn that Russia will rebuild its power sooner or later; therefore, the revival of the EU defense industry and the acquisition of ammunition and combat capabilities by member states are of key importance for achieving a deterrent effect and, more broadly, for better preparation to face security challenges.
The three countries argue that a plan for financing defense projects should be developed as soon as possible and backed by appropriate funding.
Moreover, the letter said that the EU could mobilize financing for defense infrastructure projects that are difficult for member states to develop on their own, for instance, air and missile defense capabilities.
The three countries further wrote that to help overcome defense investment gaps and provide a strong foundation for the EU defense industry, the EC strategy should improve the long-term capacity of the EU defense industry to meet the needs of EU armed forces and improve the ability to rapidly increase production in times of crisis.
The strategy should also support increasing the level of stockpiles of ammunition and key weapons systems in member states and increasing the competitive advantage of the EU as regards military and dual-use technologies and innovations, they added."Europe must spend more, spend better, spend European.
— European Commission (@EU_Commission) February 28, 2024
We will put forward some proposals in the next weeks with the first ever European Industrial Defence Strategy.
One of the central aims of the strategy will be to prioritise defence joint procurement."
— President… pic.twitter.com/I0ZkPEv2TF
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