Europe faces rearmament problems, Euractiv writes

EU governments and representatives from the defense industry are struggling to coordinate their efforts to implement rearmament programs, Euractiv reports, citing defense conferences held in Brussels over the past several weeks.

As noted, industry insiders say they often hit a brick wall, with discussions marred with mixed messages, while plans are frequently bogged down by national interests.

Last year, EU countries laid out plans detailing how they intend to spend the newly available money on joint procurement. The SAFE loan’s terms call on capitals to provide a description of the defense products they intend to purchase. But Euractiv learned that manufacturers are still waiting for defense ministries to spell out exactly what they want in terms of products.

“It’s quite confusing,” a NATO diplomat told Euractiv.

The article notes that conflicting statements from the United States have further fueled the chaos. Americans have urged Europeans to ensure their own security, which requires expanding European manufacturing capacity and production volumes. However, the US is acting contrary to its own demands, continuing to encourage the EU to purchase US-made weapons, effectively depriving European producers of revenue.

In May, EU member states agreed to establish the SAFE instrument, designed to mobilize up to €150 billion to boost weapons production. On Aug. 29, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that 19 EU countries are participating in the program.