Before American extraction and war in Ukraine, the European Union is looking for defense funds.
The European Commission proposes to channel a part of the Funds for cohesion For this new priority. Created in 1994, these funds are used to finance environmental projects and passenger networks in member states with the lowest gross national income.
In the European Parliament, the Green oppose this option.
“The funds we have in cohesion programs are attributed to economic challenges and social division,” said Rasmus Andresen, a German Meo of European green/Free Alliance, to Euronews.
“We have to invest in security, yes, but we have to do it with new money and not recycle part of the cohesion funds, as the commission proposes,” says the MEO.
Cohesion funds represent money from 392 billion eurosThat is, a third of the European budget for the period 2021-2027, but only 7% really spent and 30% scheduled. The justification for this is the fact that the authorities would have first used other programs, such as the generational Next Plan, which aims to help economies recover from COVID-19 pandemic.
Bulgaro Meo Andrey Novakov (PPE) did not hesitate to describe cohesion policy as “Sleeping Beauty” during a debate in the European Parliament in early April.
Civil and military use
Currently, these funds It cannot be used to finance armies or buy military equipment. However, they can be used to finance products with civil and military uses, such as drones or machinery.
“As a general rule, cohesion policy funds should not be used to strengthen defense, since it is the largest fund that is equal to the opportunities for the development of European regions. However, there are exceptions, because we are talking about double -use investments that can also be financed by the cohesion policy.”, Jacek Protas, MEP Polish of the European Popular Party (PPE) says.
In his opinion, the cohesion policy should allow “the reinforcement of bridges and roads for borders with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus”, “the construction of shelters under public buildings” or “the preparation of hospitals for any armed conflict.”
“These are investments that serve local populations in everyday life and that, in the time of war, can also be used for defense,” he adds.
Cohesion policy
While some national and local authorities fear that cohesion funds will be centralized, the response of the European Commission is that it intends to give more space for maneuver to countries that wish to finance their defense.
“Many of the poorest places in the EU are also those in which the Russian threat is greater. Therefore, it does not necessarily damage the fight against European inequality,” said Garvan Walshe, an associate researcher at Wilfried Mars, a group of reflection of the European Popular Party (PPE) to Euronews.
“If we invest in the modernization of the industry in Bulgaria and Romania, we are investing in the EU cohesion,” he adds.
But the obstacles remain. For example, 37% of cohesion funds must be channeled to climate -related projects.
ADVERTISING“If we isolate the military barracks, this probably tells our climatic goals … These things are not completely exclusive,” Garvan Walshe argues, before stressing ironically that “nobody here is talking about electric tanks.”
In addition to the defense, the European Commission proposes that these funds can also be affected by decarbonization, housing, water and energy.
