A new front of a confrontation between France and Germany has opened in Brussels, on the occasion of the European Commission proposal for investments of 150 billion euros, which will be allocated to Member States as loans to boost the EU’s defense industry.

Europe, who is worried after US President Donald Trump’s threats to end US defense cooperation for decades, has pledged to drastically increase its defense spending and enhance its domestic productive capabilities that have fallen from Financial Times.

Last week, the European Commission proposed a raising of 150 billion euros to be donated to the Member States in the form of loans to boost military production. Although the proposal has been unanimously approved, the details are still under forming, with the backdrop being intense as to whether the money could be spent on weapons manufactured outside the EU.

During the EU Summit on Thursday, several leaders, including German Chancellor Olf Saltz, said the initiative should be open to non -EU partners. “It is very important for us to be able to participate in countries that are not members of the European Union, but not members of the European Union, but not members of the European Union, Turkey, “Saltz said.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron, who has long supported the increase in European autonomy and the strengthening of domestic industrial production, stressed that “costs should not be directed to new ready -made weapons systems that will be non -European”.

For gaps in Europe’s critical defense – including air defense, long range attacks, information, recognition and targeting – “the way is to identify the best entrepreneurs and the best businesses we have,” he added.

In addition, he said that every EU member state would be called upon to “review its orders to see if priority can be given to options within Europe”.
Diplomats in Brussels are concerned that the € 150 billion initiative will be undermined by the same controversy that has been delayed for more than a year the agreement on the European Defense Industry Program, a € 1.5 billion fund granting defense subsidies. Efforts to implement the program have stopped this winter, at the request of Paris to set a limit to the percentage that could be spent on extra -communal components and to ban copyright protection from third countries.

Senior executives of the Commission, who have undertaken the drafting of the detailed proposal within the next 10 days, have been ordered to work closely with Paris, Berlin and other capitals to ensure that the proposal is not blocked when deposited for Member States.

“There is a lot of work to be done in it. It didn’t even exist as a proposal a week ago and it should be ready in less than two weeks, “said EU officials.” It will need compromises, “he added.

Commission President Ursula von der Layen said loans, which would aim for seven basic areas, such as air defense, artillery and drones, would “help Member States coordinate demand and buy” together “.

The Polish Government, which exercises the rotating EU presidency and responsible for the settlement of the Block ministerial meetings, will be under pressure to reach a quick agreement. The initiative may be approved by a majority of EU states, but France’s consent is considered critical, even if it can be bypassed by voting.

“We are at a point where this simply needs to be settled for speed, not perfection,” said EU diplomat involved in the negotiations. “If there was a hesitation to move on with 1.5 billion euros despite the French objections, how do we expect to agree for 150 billion euros?”