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Weapons from the USA, Great Britain and Turkey are excluded from a new EU defense financing of EUR 150 billion, unless their home countries sign defense and security packages with Brussels.
The planned fund for capital cities for weapons would only be open to EU Defense companies and those from third countries who signed defense agreements with the block, according to a proposal of the European Commission presented on Wednesday.
It would also rule out all advanced weapon systems on which a third country “Design Authority” – restrictions on the construction or use of certain components – or control over its ultimate use.
This would rule out the US platform of the Patriot Air and rocket defense, which is produced by the defender RTX and other US weapon systems in which Washington has restrictions on where they can be used.
Politicians are a victory for France and other countries that have called for a “European” approach to the continent to defense investment in view of the fear of the long -term reliability of the United States as a defense partner and supplier of President Donald Trump.
At least 65 percent of the costs of the products would have to be issued in the EU, in Norway and in Ukraine. The rest could be spent on products from third countries that have signed a security pact.
“We have this opportunity to really build the European defense industry,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s chief diplomat and added that the war in Ukraine showed the importance of weapons without foreign restrictions. “In the crisis, your military has to have really free hands.”
Great Britain has been difficult for the initiative, especially in view of its key role in a European “coalition of the willing”, which aims to strengthen the continent’s defense skills. British defense companies, including BAE Systems and Babcock International, are deeply integrated into the EU countries such as Italy and Sweden.
If the third countries such as the USA, Great Britain and Turkey wanted to take part in the initiative, they would have to sign a defense and security partnership with the EU.
However, the talks between London and Brussels on such a pact have been involved in the demands for a larger EU AC agreement, which would also include controversial problems such as catching rights and migration.
“We are working on this defense and security partnership with Great Britain,” said Kallas. “I really hope that we can achieve results for the (EU-UK) summit in May. The understanding that we do more and do it together is there.”
The exclusion of Great Britain and Turkey will create great headaches for large European defense companies with close connections to producers or suppliers in these markets.
When asked about the position of the United Kingdom on the rules for the new EU Fund on Tuesday, a British civil servant said: “We are ready to work together with European defense in the interests of broader European security in order to prevent fragmentation to European defense markets and to enable legal structures to enable the Member States with the partnership with third -country countries.”
The step will lead to considerable dismay in the British defense sector. A senior insider in the Great Britain said that it was a “considerable concern” and added: “We see a great option and it is correct that the United Kingdom is considered part of Europe. If the EU – and especially France – will be able to do so, this undermines the entire philosophy of a common and uniform Europe.”
French efforts to adopt the expenditure for EU companies to defend the defense GermanyItaly, Sweden and the Netherlands that have close relationships with non-EU defense producers.
The proposal must be approved by a majority of the EU countries.
As part of the plan, the EU countries could spend 35 percent of the loans to products from Norway, South Korea, Japan, Albania, Moldova, North Macedonia and Ukraine, said officials.
Additional reporting by Philip Georgiadis
