MNI BRIEF: Gentiloni: NGEU A Model For EU Defence As 1st Step
Joint borrowing could be adopted to help EU boost defence funding in coming years, leading Brussels official says.
The "winning formula" of joint common borrowing used in the NGEU recovery programme should be adopted to boost EU defence spending, EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said Wednesday.
Speaking in Brussels, he said that defence should be the first priority for any successor programme to NGEU which expires in 2026, but the giant challenges posed by the Green and Digital transitions also demanded joint borrowing solutions, he said.
The Commission has been tasked by EU leaders with preparing a report by June on funding options for a massive increase in European defence spending. (See MNI: Italian Push For NGEU Extension Hits Resistance-Officials)