Finland is worried about one chapter – Commission in power 100 days

Ursula von der Leyenin When the second Commission started in early December, its work was at the heart of safety and competitiveness.

20 January Europe was faced with a political storm when Donald Trump took the second season to the post of US President. Immediately the Trump administration began to challenge the EU economy and security in an unprecedented way.

Commission chairman von Der Leyen admitted at a press conference on Sunday that Trump has boosted the Commission’s work.

“What has changed is a sense of urgency. Something fundamental has changed,” he said.

Defense

Among the most important reforms of the Commission is the defense’s “white book”, which lists the actions of how the EU can significantly fund the defense. The White Book will be published next week (March 19), but Trump’s actions have already accelerated the Commission’s action, as on 4 March the Commission proposed a plan for re -arrangement in Europe.

The proposal includes a joint loan of EUR 150 billion, which Member States can use to finance their defense expenditure.

According to the Commission, the money must be used for joint purchases such as artillery, missiles, ammunition, droons and Ukraine’s armed.

The European weaponry plan also involves reducing budget discipline, as far as the money is spent on defense expenditure. According to the proposal, Member States could increase their defense spending by a total of EUR 650 billion without affecting the EU deficit regulations.

According to the Commission, the current 3 % budget limit could be temporarily exceeded by 1.5 % on the basis of defense expenditure, but the budget discipline must be returned after four years.

The Commission emphasizes that Member States’ expenditure increases must comply with NATO’s defense criteria.

“I emphasize that we are not reinventing the bike, but we are successfully trying to coordinate things with NATO,” Von Der Leyen said on Sunday.

The package also includes more flexible use of current regional development money for defense purposes and a broader loan for defense investments in the European Investment Bank (EIP).

On Thursday, EU leaders approved the Commission’s plans to bring about a total of EUR 800 billion to strengthen defense.

Next, the Commission must make concrete legislative proposals, which are expected as early as 20-21.3. by the summit to be held.

With regard to defense funding, “things are going really hard now,” comments the EU expert.

Torque

However, without severe torque between Member States, the EU defense will not be resolved.

The devil lies in the details when it is known that each 27 Member States have their own emphasis on strengthening defense.

For example, according to Germany, the current deficit rules proposed by the Commission are not enough to strengthen the EU defense for a long time.

Finland, on the other hand, is particularly concerned about one chapter, which is the year what the year is chosen as the comparison year for the national deficit rule.

Now it seems that the benchmark would become 2023. However, it would be a bad thing for Finland, because at that time Finland was making much more defense investments than in the previous years in 2022 and 2021.

Italy, Spain and Poland want the application of the deficit criteria to be now looser than now.

For example, according to Spain, border security and climate change should also include strengthening European security. Poland, who is aiming for the army of half a million soldiers, hopes that money can also be used for soldiers’ salaries.

In addition, 11 EU countries require that defense funds should also be used to ensure critical drug purchases.

Many countries have also criticized the fact that a joint loan of EUR 150 billion is far too small.

It has also been criticized that there are no direct grants in the pot distributed to the Member States, as in the corona -wrapping package.

France, in particular, wants the European defense industry to recommend in common defense investments.

Italy, on the other hand, does not want Member States to direct unused regional development resources to defense investments.

Poland has also criticized the fact that the EIP authority is even extended to defense investments and has therefore proposed a separate European defense bank.

The White Book of Defense next week is expected to propose more new financial tools and tell us how the country -specific deficit rules will eventually apply.

The Commission is also expected to have more accurate priorities, to which defense funds need to be invested in.

Tcollege

The new thinking that has risen over 100 days is also illustrated by the fact that the Commission chairman von Der Leyen told about the new security college on Sunday.

In practice, this means that 27 commissioners’ college regularly receives situations from security services in order to have an up -to -date snapshot and the ability to anticipate future action.

Von Der Leyen mentioned on Sunday that, for example, before Russia’s large-scale offensive war, Russian gas giant Gazprom suddenly stopped filling the EU gas stores, but the Commission did not understand what it meant at that time.

“We saw what was going on. We were worried, but we had no idea that this was the beginning of the hybrid attack against the energy safety of Europe to force us not to support Ukraine, ”said von der Leyen.

According to him, it is important that the college knows what the security situation looks like and what to prepare.

Von der Leyen’s recent performance is like a direct president Sauli Niinistö In October, the preparedness report provided to the Commission.

It stated, inter alia, that the EU should be able to prepare for any possible emergency situation in advance, and that good anticipation and decision -making will require a wider sharing of intelligence.

Competitiveness

In addition to security, the second priority of the Commission is to strengthen competitiveness, especially in relation to the United States and China.

The previous Commission focused on the green transition, but now, as a result of the pressure of voters and companies, the new Commission exchanged emphasis on a clean transition to the industry.

In this context, the Commission announced on 26 February a large action package.

The Commission proposed to dismantle regulation and reduce the reporting burden of companies, reduce energy prices, ensure critical raw materials and create demand for low-carbon products.

For funding, a plan of EUR 100 billion, or “CO2 Reducing Bank,” is mainly based on existing funds.

The money is to be compiled from the existing innovation fund, the additional funding for the Investu program and the emissions trading system.

The European Investment Bank (EIP) is also expected to launch new financial instruments to support clean industrial projects.

The Commission’s toolkit also includes a new pure industry support.

The purpose is to enable government aid measures to adopt faster renewable energy, to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of industrial carbon dioxide and to adequate the adequacy of clean technology.

The project has already been criticized for the fact that most of the state subsidies are already going to a few major member countries. As a result, smaller EU countries will have to lick their fingers and worry about competitive distortion, which will continue until at least 2030.

The Commission has also been criticized for the fact that while it intends to dismantle the regulations of the green transition, the 2040 climate target promised by the Commission has not yet been announced.

The pledge of climate operations has been a criticism, especially in the green and in industrial sectors that have already begun investments in the green transition.

It is also a fear that the deletion of the Commission’s regulations will change or get stuck in the EU Parliament, whereby they may become a member of the right-wing and extreme right-wing parties to carry them as a partner.

Background discussions also mention that the Commission is now dissolved by the Commission at such a pace that many Member States are not in their own national schedules at the Commission’s pace.