European Commission wants to transfer EU from peacetime to wartime and increase production of ammunition, - Spiegel
The European Commission wants to present to the member states a plan that will not only ensure the supply of ammunition to Ukraine as part of the defense against the Russian invasion, but also replenish stocks in the EU countries.
As Censor.NET reports with reference to "Euro Integration", the draft document is at the disposal of Spiegel.
The plan consists of three components.
The first component provides for an immediate increase in supplies of ammunition, in particular 155-mm artillery shells, to Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will soon propose an additional €1 billion support package for the supply of ammunition, primarily 155 mm shells.
The second component involves the joint procurement of 155-mm ammunition by the European Defense Agency EDA with the aim of filling gaps in the stockpiles of EU countries and ensuring the supply of Ukraine in the long term.
The third component is designed to ensure a long-term increase in European ammunition production capacity, taking into account changes in the security situation.
Emergency aid under the first component will be provided according to an already established scheme: EU countries supply ammunition to Ukraine, and in return receive money from the European Peace Fund (EPF). Its financial coverage has already increased three times by 500 million euros, and in December it was decided to increase it to 2 billion euros.
The second component of the plan carries a clear message: the time when peace in Europe was considered guaranteed is over. The situation has fundamentally changed with Russia's attack on Ukraine, and EU countries must take this into account - by purchasing more ammunition in the long term.
This should be done through the EDA project. EU member states and Ukraine should combine their needs to "place a mass order and give the industry a clear signal about demand," the document says.
According to the European Commission, only if the industry is sure that such demand exists, it will be ready to increase its production capacity in the long term.
The commission also hopes that joint ordering will lead to significantly lower prices than before. 25 out of 27 EU countries and Norway have already expressed interest in participating in the project, which will last seven years.
The third component should solve the main problem: the "rapid reduction" of ammunition stocks in EU countries and the insufficient capacities for their production, which must now be "rapidly increased".
The European Commission sees itself more as a mediator and organizer, for example by identifying gaps in production capacity and helping with procurement. The real responsibility for production lies with industry and the governments of the EU countries.
EU defense ministers are expected to discuss the proposals at an informal meeting in Stockholm early next week. Decisions can be made already at the next summit of heads of state and government at the end of March.
