AssetID: 54824742
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: EU Clears Path to Use Covid Recovery Funds for Defense Spending
Caption: EU Clears Path to Use Covid Recovery Funds for Defense Spending. The EU has announced that member states can now redirect Covid-19 recovery funds to defense projects — a major policy shift as global priorities evolve. The €335 billion still available under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) can now be used for security and defense, the European Commission confirmed. Originally created to boost climate action and digital reforms post-pandemic, the RRF did not include defense — until now. Defense-related projects, including EU-wide initiatives like satellite communications and cybersecurity, are now eligible for RRF funding. But there’s a deadline: countries must meet project targets by August 2026 to access the funds. Many are already behind schedule. The shift reflects changing priorities since 2021 — when the Green Deal dominated EU goals, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Spain has already included cybersecurity in its national plan. The Commission says countries can redesign their RRF plans to include more defense-related investments. Some nations, like Italy and Spain, want the 2026 deadline extended — but the EU firmly rejected it, citing legal complexity and financial risk. The Commission recommends countries “replace” unworkable investments with feasible projects to ensure funds are not lost. Beyond defense, countries can also use funds for national promotional banks or transfer them to the EU’s investment arm, InvestEU, the Commission advised. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Current Affairs & Politics,EU,member state,Covid-19,recovery funds,defense,projects,policy,global,priorities,Ursula Von Der Leyen,Recovery and Resilience Facility,RRF,climate,digital reforms,post-pandemic,Green Deal,Russia,Ukraine,war,invasion,security,rearm,cybersecurity,Spain,Italy
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