Brussels proposes collective weapons purchases for EU member states

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Brussels has proposed buying weapons collectively on behalf of EU member states, in what would be a major shift in decision-making power in response to Donald Trump’s disruption of US foreign policy.

“Upon request from Member States, the Commission could . . . act as a central purchasing body [for weapons] on their behalf,” the commission wrote in the draft of a policy paper on defence seen by the FT.

“Demand aggregation through collaborative procurement is the most cost-effective route to rebuild European defence,” said the paper, which is set to be published next week.

“Collaborative procurement of defence products has significant benefits for both Member States and defence industry,” the commission added.

European capitals have been forced to rethink their entire defence and security posture by Trump’s threats to end US protection to European allies that do not spend more on defence, as well as by his decision to rekindle ties with Russia.

The commission stepped in during the Covid-19 pandemic to collectively purchase vaccines on behalf of EU member states, to bring down prices and ensure supply amid fierce global competition.

Some member states have privately pushed for Brussels to apply that concept to defence, with demands for “collective” security investments such as air and missile defence.

The draft white paper, which could change before it is officially published ahead of a EU summit on March 20, also contains more details on financing options unveiled by commission president Ursula von der Leyen last week.

Those include €150bn in loans to capitals and a relaxing of EU deficit rules for defence spending.

The document seen by the FT does not contain a proposal for new collective debt by EU member states for defence, an idea pushed by many capitals but opposed by Germany and the Netherlands.

This is a developing story