EU: Half a billion euros for accelerated ammunition production for Ukraine

(Patria) - The European Commission today presented a proposal for the Act in Support of Ammunition Production for Ukraine, under which 500 million euros in grants would be allocated from the EU budget to the European defence industry.

In addition, member states should add the same amount for investments in strengthening production capacities.

Third point of the plan

This concerns the fulfilment of the third point of the plan adopted by the EU on 20 March.

The first point is the delivery of artillery ammunition to Ukraine from existing stocks in member states, for which they will receive compensation from the European Peace Facility (EPF); the second is the joint procurement of 155 mm calibre ammunition; and the third is the strengthening of the European defence industry to meet these needs.

- We want to directly support our defence industry with European money for Ukraine and our own security - said Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.

Breton has visited 11 member states with ammunition production capacities in recent weeks, and today announced that he still has two more countries with such capacities to visit.

- In recent weeks, I have visited the main ammunition production sites in the EU. Europe has large, diverse defence production capacities, but not to the extent that it can today meet the security needs of Ukraine or our member states - Breton said.

He expressed confidence that within 12 months, the EU will be able to increase production capacities to one million rounds of ammunition per year for Ukraine.

Boost for the defence industry

The proposed act has an interesting acronym: ASAP (Act in Support of Ammunition Production). This acronym is often used in English to mean "as soon as possible".

"ASAP will provide the boost our defence industry needs for the security of Ukraine and Europe," Breton stated.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasised that the EU is accelerating military aid to Ukraine.

- First, member states are delivering additional quantities of ammunition from their existing stocks with support from the European Peace Facility amounting to one billion euros.

Second, together with member states, we will jointly procure additional ammunition for Ukraine and will secure one billion euros for this purpose.

Today we are fulfilling the third point by increasing and accelerating ammunition production - said von der Leyen, adding that the EU and member states will provide an additional one billion euros for this.