In its budget plan for 2021-2027, the European Commission places emphasis on defence, with a defence and security budget of €20.7 billion over seven years (in current prices).
The Commission thus proposes to earmark €13 billion for the European defence fund, i.e. higher than the annual €1.5 billion set out in the EU policy paper on the future of EU finances, published in June 2017 (see EUROPE 11818).
Out of the €13 billion, €4.1 billion will be for research (the European Commission...