European Council takes measures to boost defence

"It is very important to not just reiterate our support to Ukraine but also drive a new cycle of defence and security policy within the European Union", said Prime Minister Luís Montenegro on the informal European Council meeting held in Brussels.

Luís Montenegro said that "from a geopolitical standpoint" this time "is highly relevant and challenging" as we "are experiencing on an international level, times of major uncertainty and unpredictability" and, in Europe, "times of threat against our security and our [society] project".

Defence

The Council "had a very important component in terms of deciding on the future of Europe". The President of the European Commission presented a "highly constructive, ambitious, balanced and flexible" proposal "to strengthen our defence policy and, above all, its funding" as a joint project.

The main principle is "the simultaneous contribution of public and private funding", "the Union budget, namely mobilising 150 billion euros" "which are then loaned to the States", plus "flexibility mechanisms, namely the rules of the growth and stability pact", and "the use of cohesion rules" in the current multiannual financial framework and the EIB funding in the field of security and defence.

At the same time, increase the "well desired savings and investment union, a private funding instrument calling on to this area of activity what is advocated for the entire economy as a way to promote greater competitiveness and companies’ funding capacity".

"This is the right track where Portugal sees an opportunity". Portugal is in "a very stable economic and financial situation" where "approving instruments such as these, we are offering our partners proof of our solidarity", he remarked. 

Luís Montenegro added that he’d recalled the other Council members how dramatic "the effort we claimed to have the flexibility to face a financial crisis" 15 years ago "and what the rigid rules of the growth and stability pact forced on us", having to impose "many restrictions on our economies and the people".

In previous council meetings, the Prime Minister claimed the need to "adopt joint funding instruments" and "was truly optimistic with this first step, as it is merely a first step" with a view to "a new cycle that will have to be finetuned and laid down in new rules, as well as new funding instruments". "The door is open with these instruments and must be complemented in a near future". 

Ukraine

On the matter of Ukraine, the 27 Heads of State and Government stated, in a meeting also attended by President Volodimir Zelenski that "it is not possible to achieve an agreement (…) without Ukraine taking part" or "without Europe and the European Union being engaged".

The Prime Minister said the EU is working towards "achieving a peace agreement that must also have the necessary and required security guarantees", that "must be robust and credible and respect Ukraine’s Independence and sovereignty and territorial integrity" and "contribute towards the deterrence policy Europe demands for its own safety and security".

"From this perspective, Portugal will be part of the endeavour to reach this agreement and, then, the security guarantees", he claimed, adding that "we shall continue to ensure on behalf of Portugal the political, military, economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine iwth a view to, at this stage, heading towards a just, inclusive, and long-lasting peace agreement.

Luís Montenegro added that "It was highly relevant to confirm that the European Council maintains and collaborates on this effort in an expressive manner."