BRUSSELS SPROUTS
WHEN the European Commission set out plans for an €800bn “ReArm” programme in April after the US threatened to pull the plug on its military presence on Nato’s eastern flank, the talk in Brussels and Whitehall was that this would be a perfect opportunity to have proof of rebuilt EU-UK ties.
The €150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE), launched in May, plans to offer low-interest loans to EU member states with 45-year repayment periods. Eighteen EU states have already made claims totalling almost €130bn. That cash won’t be on offer to the UK but, as a non-EU player with a security agreement with the bloc, it could be part of joint procurement arrangements with other EU countries.