FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Brussels did not accept the logic of overbooking, where Athens hoped to obtain additional funds in case other EU countries failed to meet the conditions for their military projects...
Brussels has blocked Athens' armament ambitions.
According to official documents, on November 29, the Greek Ministry of Defense submitted to Brussels a list of 22 military projects, targeting not only funds that belong to Greece, but also a portion of funds that would remain unused by other countries, a tactic known in bureaucratic parlance as “overbooking.” Greece sought to buy 2.8 billion euros in weapons.
But on December 5, the response from the SAFE Task Force was categorical: The project is not accepted in this form and Greece must reschedule the request with a new financial ceiling of 787,669,283 euros, well below the initial claims.
EU: No to speculative financing
Brussels did not accept the logic of overbooking, where Athens hoped to benefit from additional funds in case other EU countries failed to meet the conditions for their military projects. According to the SAFE (Security Action For Europe) Task Force, this approach is not in line with the rules of equality and transparency in the allocation of funds.
Furthermore, SAFE also requests a detailed clarification from the Greek Ministry of Defense on how it plans to implement some of the projects that are unique, i.e. to be developed only by Greece, without inter-state involvement from other EU member states.
What does this mean for Greece's military ambitions?
This blockage by Brussels is a blow to the ambitious plans of the Mitsotakis government, which in recent years has undertaken a strong course of armaments and military modernization, often in the name of balancing relations with Turkey in the Aegean.
The rejection of funds and the request for restructuring leave the current project in limbo, until Athens comes up with a new and more realistic version that respects the financial limits set by the EU. /Pamphlet
Lini një Përgjigje