La Francia spinge a limitare l’accesso del Regno Unito al fondo militare di € 150 miliardi dell’UE

France is pushing to freeze Britain out of 85 per cent of a €150 billion military rearmament fund, despite government concessions before a summit with the European Union due to be hosted by Sir Keir Starmer on Monday.

The prime minister has made significant concessions on fisheries as part of his “reset” negotiations with the EU, including a new security and defence pact that would allow British arms companies to bid for EU military funding.

The small print of the EU’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) fund is still being haggled over by European governments. France has tabled restrictions that would limit British involvement in contracts to just 15 per cent.

“France is pressing hard for what President Macron calls ‘strategic autonomy’ and that means a Europe-first policy on the funding,” said a diplomat.

Italy, Germany and Poland are resisting the French and support a threshold that would allow British companies to bid for 35 per cent of the funding, as rows over how the money will be spent risk delays.

A new defence and security partnership will be the centrepiece of the EU-UK summit next week after the government conceded to French-led demands that the deal was tied to a four-year agreement guaranteeing fishing rights for European boats in British waters.

The trade-off will allow companies such as BAE Systems or Babcock International to bid and win contracts for arms projects from the EU weapons fund, but with restrictions, including financial contributions from Britain.

The fund is meant to pay for military equipment, including artillery, air defence and drones, as Europe scrambles to rearm following President Trump’s warning that the US will no longer be the main guarantor of Nato and European security.

Divisions over how to spend the money, which is part of a wider EU project to spend €800 billion on defence by the end of the decade, have already delayed projects.

In a mark of the splits, the EU has quietly dropped the name “ReArm” for the defence spending programme after Italy and Spain objected to the “militaristic tone” of the name. The plan is now called “Preparedness 2030”.

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Perhaps they should have remained in EU if they did not want to be treated like…a country with weak ties to EU.

It’s the same story with every EU fund. It’s like a cat that can’t decide whether to go outside or stay in. 

France is right about this.

I don’t really understand why the EU is trying to limit the UK at all. It’s meant to be a Europe first policy? not a EU first?

Plus Britain has been the manufacturer of some of the best weapon systems in the world, including the US. A lot of US weapons are made and designed by the British… So why the fuck would Europe only want to stick with French designs?

Makes no sense when a lot of the world is already trained and using US/UK based weapon systems.

They need to stop pissing about frankly. This isn’t about politics. This is war.

““France is pressing hard for what President Macron calls ‘strategic autonomy’ and that means a Europe-first policy on the funding,” said a diplomat.”

Last i checked the UK is a European country. This is just a petty move by France to get more money from the situation just like they did the fishing rights. Its fucked.

Typical of the french really.