European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday called on member states to push ahead with contracts for the production of one million ammunition destined for Ukraine.
“There is no shortage of production capacity, but products are being sent to other markets. So what we have to try to do is move production to the main priority, which is the Ukrainians,” Borrell told reporters ahead of an EU defense meeting. ministers.
At this meeting, member states will review military support for Ukraine, which amounts to 27 billion euros, said the person responsible for European diplomacy.
The Spanish politician noted that 40% of the EU’s military industry products are exported to other countries.
“Companies are in markets and produce products for markets. The question is to create another market that could be more interesting,” he said.
He therefore emphasized “the importance of dialogue between policy and industry.”
Borrell also explained that the EU armies have already completed the first phase of the plan to supply Ukraine with one million shells and missiles within twelve months and have so far sent 300,000 pieces of ammunition.
Countries will now move to the next stage of the plan, which depends on the contracts they have signed with industry to optimize resources.
“Contracts are subject to sharing and financial viability of member states. This is an interaction between industry and Member States. It’s being worked on, but we’d like to know where we are and what production rates might be. “, Borrell said.
The commissioner responsible for the internal market, Thierry Breton, said EU ammunition production capacity had increased “by around 20-30% since February” and that the target of producing one million rounds by next spring on an annual basis would be met. be achieved.
Breton also believed the EU should go further in terms of military industry and invited countries to think together to “lay the foundations of a new strategy” for capacity building, the results of which he hopes to present in the first quarter of next year.
Borrell also said he would send a team to Kyiv at the end of the month to present a proposal for a “long-term commitment” to guarantee the future security of Ukraine.
At the last summit in October, EU leaders called for discussing Ukraine’s security needs and preparing a report.
Today Borrell will also present defense ministers with an analysis of the capacity development plans of each army in the European bloc, detailing “weaknesses” and “how to address them by increasing investment in priority areas.”
PSP//APN
Lusa/end
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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