Financing European Defence: The End of Budgetary Taboos

Abstract

(Series Information) European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2023 8(3), 1155-1177 | European Forum Insight of 17 January 2024 | (Table of Contents) I. Introduction. - II. Financing European defence outside the EU budget. - II.1. Funding through the back door: the European Defence Agency. - II.2 Financing "through the front door": the European Peace Facility. - III. EU budget funding for European defence. - III.1. Unprecedented budgetary efforts through the implementation of EU industrial and research policies. - III.2. A more modest budgetary contribution through the multiplication of targeted actions. - IV. Conclusions. | (Abstract) Since the Treaty of Lisbon, signed in 2007, the common security and defence policy shall include the progressive framing of a common Union defence policy, which may lead to a common defence. However, the key question is the financing of such policy. To address this issue, several taboos have been progressively lifted in terms of financial resources, both out of the EU Budget with new players (notably the European Defence Agency) and new instruments (especially the European Peace Facility) and within the EU Budget, with a multiplication of initiatives to reinforce the European defence industry (from the first dedicated program in 2017 to the new instrument for supporting the production of ammunition in 2023). The Ukrainian war was and is still a decisive factor to contribute to and accelerate that evolution

Keywords

• common security and defence policy
• eu budget
• european defence agency
• european peace facility
• european defence fund
• ukrainian war