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For Poland, the priority in the next term of the European Commission is defense

by AI | 13.Jun 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The future EC is to prepare a draft financial mechanism that will enable Community funding of such projects, as well as the EU arms industry.

Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP

For Poland, in the next institutional cycle of the European Union, the priority will be defense and its financing, according to an EU diplomatic source to a group of correspondents. This includes community financing of projects such as the EU air defense system or the Shield East project, as well as strengthening the EU’s defense industry.

No one in Brussels has any doubt that in the face of Russia’s unrelenting aggression against Ukraine, defense will be one of the dominant topics that the EU will address in the coming years. Problems with the delivery of ammunition and military equipment from EU countries to Ukraine have highlighted the need for investment in the EU’s defense sector.

The EU has also long been addressing the issue of joint EU projects in the field of defense and their financing from the community budget. This has been followed by concrete proposals, such as Poland’s proposal to build a joint European air defense system or the Shield East defense system along the border with Russia and Belarus.

The future European Commission is to prepare a financial mechanism project that will enable community financing of such projects, as well as the EU’s defense industry.

“Poland’s priority will be to establish an EU policy so that it is not just public procurement, but to find the money for the projects announced by Prime Minister Tusk. It is about community financing of projects such as Shield East or elements that are part of the air defense system,” said a diplomatic source to a group of correspondents.

“Political will is the most important thing in this regard. (…) The Commission will have to present a way to finance this,” the interviewer added.

The source also referred to the future staffing of the EU’s top positions – the Presidents of the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament, and the head of EU diplomacy. The matter will be discussed at a meeting of EU leaders on June 17 in Brussels.

In this case, the Polish side – according to the source – believes that an agreement on this issue should concern a package of all positions, not individually. (06/13/2024)