MNI BRIEF: EU Summit Draft Shows Defence Proposals Postponed
Amended draft conclusions of today’s EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels showed that any proposals on how to fund an increase in the EU’s funding for defence have been pushed back to their next summit in October at the earliest.
“The European Council invites the Commission and the High Representative to present developed options for funding to strengthen the defence technological and industrial base and fill critical capability gaps,” the draft said, mentioning that leaders will only hold “a first discussion on options for mobilising funding for European defence” a the current meeting.
The European Commission had been requested to provide an options paper to leaders at the June 27-28 summit, but this was downgraded in recent weeks to a “letter” and then to an “oral presentation” by the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
EU sources told MNI last week that results of European Parliament elections had undermined support for rapid progress on the funding topic. (See MNI: European Commission Lowers Defence Ambition As Far Right Gains)