The EU registers a record figure in defense spending in 2021 with 214,000 million

BRUSELAS, 8 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The European Union made record military spending in 2021 with a total investment of 214,000 million euros, 6 percent more than the previous year, following the upward trend of the last seven years, according to the annual report of the Agency for European Defense Agency (EDA).

The EDA study indicates that Member States increased spending by 6 percent compared to 2020, for the highest year-on-year growth since the EU changed its trend in military investment and began spending from 2015, once the threshold was exceeded. financial crisis. While in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the EU countries used 1.5 percent in military spending, the same percentage as in 2020.

Since 2014, the year in which the Member States registered a lower investment in Defense, the increase is estimated at 52,000 million and 32 percent more and this trend will continue in the coming years with the commitments acquired by the EU after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

By country, 18 Member States increased spending in 2021, led by Finland with 42 percent increase, followed by Greece and Slovenia, with 33 percent and 27 percent, respectively. In absolute terms, the increase of 4,000 million in Italy's military budget stands out. In contrast, another eight Member States cut back on Defense items.

The EDA values ​​the evolution in military spending as "positive" and indicates that it can help to compensate for the insufficient spending of the EU in terms of Defense between 2009 and 2018. In any case, it stresses the need to also increase spending Therefore, despite the increase in joint military projects, the bloc is far from its objectives of representing 35 percent of the total investment.

The report points out, however, that the EU countries are spending more and more collaboratively with an "appreciable increase" reaching 7,900 million euros of joint purchases, almost double the figures of the previous year, when the States members collaboratively invested $4.1 billion.

For the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, despite the "long road" traveled in military cooperation in Europe, "very little" is spent in a coordinated manner. For this reason, he has demanded that the increase in defense spending be accompanied by joint investments that "must become the norm."

"Spending is not enough, we have to do better, and that means doing it together. This is the only way to effectively equip the European Armed Forces for future challenges", stressed the former Spanish minister.