France is the leader of a group of countries that wants the money largely reserved for European companies, with safeguards to prevent non-EU companies from easily accessing the fund. Other countries, including the Netherlands and Poland, want the money to fund procurement and production of non-EU equipment made under license on European soil, such as United States Patriot air defense systems.
It has the added political advantage of pandering to incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.
Those capitals are interested in getting off-the-shelf weapons as quickly as possible to beef up their armed forces and to help Ukraine. They also want to benefit from EU cash to make foreign equipment locally: The Netherlands is looking to produce Patriots under license, while Poland is looking to co-manufacture South Korean gear.
But France — with the EU’s largest defense industry — is keen to ensure the continent preserves its own military-industrial complex and doesn’t become too reliant on Washington. For example, America’s Patriot directly competes with the Franco-Italian SAMP/T system made by MBDA, as well as the system’s next generation currently under development.
“The European agenda to support the defense industry is useful, but it must not lead to European taxpayers’ money being spent on the licensed production of American equipment,” Lecornu said in his New Year’s address.
Speaking before top military brass and industry CEOs, he added: “That’s what’s at stake in the current negotiations on EDIP, on which we won’t budge … In this area, it’s better to do nothing than to do something wrong.”
