The European Commission wants to speed up ammunition production in the European Union (EU) to support Ukraine. Last week, it proposed the mobilization of 500 million euros for this purpose.
With our special envoy to the European Parliament, Jean-Jacques Hery
The objective of the European Union (EU) is to increase the production of European industry to one million ammunition per year. The bill, entitled Asap (Act to Support Ammunition Production), was defended yesterday, Monday, May 8, before the European Parliament meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg by the European Commissioner for Industry and Defence, Thierry Breton. The latter notably pleaded for a rapid adoption of this plan.
In front of the MEPs, Thierry Breton repeated again and again how urgent it was to help Ukraine by providing it with ammunition, in greater numbers and over time. And right now, he explained, the EU cannot. Its industrial capacities are too weak: not enough powder, not enough explosives, not enough detonators. But with these 500 million euros, it will be possible to increase ammunition production capacities, argued the commissioner, by investing in the supply chain or in machinery.
” Collective obligation of results »
And for that, the two co-legislators – Council and European Parliament – must quickly agree on the text, he pleaded, adding that “ the success of this plan depends on its speed of execution “. ” Ladies and gentlemen deputiessaid Thierry Breton again, we have a collective obligation of results to reach an agreement with the Council. I therefore very much welcome the decision to vote on the urgent procedure for this initiative and I hope that the vote will be positive. I’m really counting on you. The reality on the ground in Ukraine calls us to take all possible paths to move quickly, while respecting our democracy, because it is also our democracy that is at stake. “.
The European Parliament votes today to decide whether or not to examine the text under the urgent procedure. If so, it could be adopted as early as June 2023. This is what the Commission hopes.
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