The New EU Budget and Defense: Narrowing the Capabilities-Expectations Gap

Author(s): Marc Friedli
Series: CSS Corona Blog
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich
Publication Year: 2020

The 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) will go down in history as the EU’s coronavirus budget – unprecedented in volume and the raising of joint debt, argues Marc Friedli in this CSS Blog. While the budget places promising new instruments at the EU’s disposal, the trimming of resources initially allocated and unchanged decision-making procedures significantly dim the prospects for those initiatives to deliver the expected results. If these projects are to bear fruit, they must be prioritized and interlinked with existing programs and supported by strong financial commitments by the member states.

Publisher's Website