Ministers back new EU military research fund

EU’s defence minister have asked the European Defence Agency to prepare detailed proposals for a joint programme of investment in research and technology, a kind of new military research fund.

At their meeting on 7 March 2006, the EU’s defence ministers reviewed different possible approaches to increasing EU spending and collaboration on defence research and technology (R&T). They asked the European Defence Agency (EDA) for detailed proposals on establishing and running a special EDA programme of joint R&T investment, with an associated budget provided by member state contributions. The fund would be run by the EDA. Ministers are set to discuss the proposals at their meeting in May, and the European Council in June should decide whether to give the fund final approval. 

Ministers also backed the idea of a pilot R&T programme which could serve as a model for turning EU’s military capability objectives into specific technology priorities. They also asked for proposals for a general European defence R&T strategy to identify the key future technologies worth backing in the light of military needs and their economic importance for Europe. 

The EU-25 spends around two billion euro on defence R&T, which is five times less than the United States alone. Three-quarters of the EU’s two billion euro is currently spent by France and the UK. The EU fund is likely to start with voluntary contributions from those countries willing to take part in it. The UK said it will not contribute to the fund right away, whereas France has given strong backing for the project. 

The military research fund’s resources would be minimal compared to the money US spends on defence R&T, but starting such an EU fund could mean greater coordination of EU defence spending in the long run.

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