In a letter dated 4 March and seen by EUROPE on Wednesday 11 March, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania called on the EU to maintain the funds designated for military mobility in the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
Although the Commission's initial proposal included a budget of €6.5 billion for military mobility, this was reduced to zero funding in the latest proposal presented to the European Council on 21 February (see EUROPE 12431/1).
In their letter to the President of the European Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commissioner for Budget, and the Head of Cabinet for the President of the European Council, the defence ministers warn that “cuts of this nature, which, from our point of view, are unjustified, would discredit this EU initiative, and the efforts of Member States both at national level and within the framework of permanent structured cooperation”.
They believe that “the EU's ambition to become a stronger player in managing the most imminent security risks will be seriously compromised if military mobility is left without adequate funding from the outset”, adding that, if cuts in the EU budget are unavoidable, they should be made proportionately to all new initiatives related to the defence industry, a strategy that would involve a reduction in the budget for the European Defence Fund. The initial allocation of €13 billion was increased to €7.014 billion in the most recent proposal from the President of the European Council (see EUROPE 12426/1).
The four defence ministers believe that “sufficient resources for enhancing military mobility within the Multiannual Financial Framework are a crucial condition for the success and reputation of this EU endeavour”. They finish by noting that military mobility is “a flagship initiative of EU-NATO cooperation”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)