Brussels, 21/11/2012(Agence Europe) - The European Defence Agency (EDA) budget has barely grown since 2010. It stands at €30.5 million, and a proposal for a 2% increase for 2013 to take account of inflation was vetoed by the United Kingdom at the meeting of the EDA Steering Board in Brussels on Monday 19 November.
“This budget is far from ideal”, commented EDA Director General Claude-France Arnould, but “that's what happens when unanimity is required”. “We'll have to cut our cloth to suit the situation. It will be more difficult but I remain encouraged by the support” demonstrated by some states which have made clear their desire to provide additional funding for specific EDA projects and programmes, she added (our translation).
During negotiations, France proposed that all member states, with the exception of the United Kingdom, increase their contribution to EDA funding. Even though this idea won some support, Catherine Ashton, High Representative for the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, opposed it, arguing that the proposal had no legal basis.
Since no unanimous decision could be reached, the 2013 budget will, then, remain unchanged from this year. The UK contribution is a little over €4 million. Had the proposal for a 2% increase in 2013 been carried, this would have meant that British taxpayers would have had to find some €85,000 more. (JK/transl.fl)