On Thursday 23 October, the European Parliament refused by a large majority (124 votes in favour, 401 against, 41 abstentions) to object to an implementing measure adopted in August which amends the guidelines for the ‘InvestEU’ programme by extending the definition of eligible investments in the defence sector, thereby allowing financing to be granted to companies from third countries that are not supervised in the European Union.
According to The Left, which lodged the objection, the delegated act, which is part of the ‘ReArm Europe’ action plan (see EUROPE 12592/1), allows “major arms manufacturers from countries such as the United States and Israel” access to the ‘InvestEU’ programme, with the approval of an EU Member State.
Jussi Saramo, a member of the radical left-wing group in Finland, felt that this approach totally contradicted the European Commission’s statements on strengthening European economic competitiveness, and posed a problem of “transparency” because of the confidentiality of the commercial transactions involved. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)