European lawmakers debate extending non-lethal military funding to overseas partners
European lawmakers will today debate a program to fund non-lethal training and assistance to external militaries.
If codified by European leaders next month, $120 million will be redeployed from the $2.7 billion Instrument contributing to Peace and Stability which reinforces the EU’s external policies involving crisis management. It currently funds 277 projects across 70 countries including water desalination in Gaza, counter-terrorism in Pakistan and addressing the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.
The measures will only support operations such as supplying non-lethal equipment, civil infrastructure reconstruction and mine clearing when the military is deemed critical to preventing or managing a crisis.
However, EU lawyers have questioned the legality of this use of taxpayer money since funding military operations is strictly prohibited. Nevertheless, MEPs have described the measures as the “missing link” in EU foreign policy by ensuring conflict and instability do not undermine development assistance.
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