EU member states are debating plans to repurpose nearly €400 billion in regional development funds to bolster defence infrastructure and dual-use technologies, according to Euractiv.
The move, part of a broader push to fortify Europe’s security architecture, could see cohesion funds redirected to finance bomb shelters, military barracks, and critical digital networks, blurring long-standing boundaries between civilian and military spending.
The European Commission’s initial proposal, framed around upgrading civilian infrastructure with military potential, includes reinforcing roads and bridges to withstand tanks or double as emergency airstrips.
However, member states are demanding a far broader interpretation of “defence.” Latvia seeks funding for bomb shelters and soldier housing, whereas Greece insists purely military installations like barracks should qualify. Slovakia, constructing dual-purpose hospitals usable in peacetime and war, argues such projects align with cohesion objectives.
France, aiming to leverage its overseas territories, proposed expanding eligible infrastructure to ports, airports, and submarine cables—critical for both civilian connectivity and naval operations.
The Commission also floated using cohesion cash to ramp up arms production, covering ammunition, missiles, and air defence systems, though combat aircraft remain excluded. The Czech Republic is pushing to include dual-use tech firms and their supply chains, emphasising innovations with civilian-military crossover potential.
With the EU executive poised to unveil its seven-year budget blueprint, the cohesion fund overhaul is being accelerated via an emergency legislative procedure, bypassing typical timelines. The European Parliament is expected to amend the proposal within months, despite concerns over diverting resources from regional development goals.
