BRUSSELS (AP) - The European Union announced Monday that an agreement has been reached on setting up the 27-nation bloc’s first ever fund to support defense research and development.
The European Defense Fund will contain around 7.95 billion euros ($9.67 billion) for the 2021-2027 period. Around a third of the money will be used on research projects, with the rest being used to develop the defense technologies.
The agreement must still be rubber-stamped by EU member countries and the European Parliament, and this will depend on the bloc’s long-term budget being finalized. EU leaders reached a political agreement on the budget last week, so the move is likely to be a formality.
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said the fund “will enhance the EU’s ability to protect its citizens and make the EU a stronger global actor.”
Around 13 billion euros were originally earmarked for the fund, but the coronavirus pandemic forced a change of priorities and the EU’s entire budget was reshuffled to help fund the recovery.
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