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Brussels will consider covering border protection as a defense expense, as requested by Spain

by AI | 19.Mar 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Brussels advocates using a “broad” definition of defense spending, such as that included in the international statistical framework COFOG, as a basis for clarifying which investments are excluded from the deficit calculation and which elements could benefit from common EU funding.

Barbed wire fence at the Serbian-Hungarian border next to Subotica. Photo: Omar Marques / Sopa Images / Zuma Press / ContactoPhoto

Brussels – The European Commission will consider including border protection in the definition of defense spending as requested in Brussels a week ago by the Spanish Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, who also called for investments in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure to be covered.

In fact, the Spanish minister argued that “several countries besides Spain” had mentioned borders in the Mediterranean as an “essential” element of protection and security for the continent.

Brussels advocates using a “broad” definition of defense spending, such as that outlined in the international statistical framework COFOG, as a basis to clarify which investments are excluded from deficit calculation and which elements could benefit from the EU’s common financing.    

According to this approach, an increase in the defense capabilities of the Member States, whether through the installation of new equipment or by increasing military personnel and improving their training, would result in an increase in defense spending, measured according to the definitions of both COFOG and NATO.

Although border protection is usually classified in another section of the statistical system, community sources indicated this Wednesday that Eurostat is invited to work with the national statistical system to also consider “potentially boundary” cases.

Thus, those countries where border protection is the responsibility of defense ministries or serves these functions could be given some leeway.

“I believe these are the kinds of cases that could be discussed in a working group between Eurostat and the Member States,” admitted a senior Commission official.

As for investments in cybersecurity, the same sources explained that these fall into the category of dual-use goods—with military and civilian purposes—therefore they will count as defense spending if that is their primary purpose.

With the presentation this Wednesday of the white paper on Defense, which aims to be the strategic guide for directing military spending within the EU, the Commission has urged capitals to inform Eurostat of all defense-related expenditures that, in their opinion, should be accounted for according to the COFOG classification, as well as the expenditures made under the instrument to mobilize 150 billion in the categories ‘defense products’ and ‘other products intended for defense’. (March 19)