„We have finally managed to achieve what we have been insistently demanding in recent years: the possibility to redirect European funds towards defense and security,” explained the Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defense.

„We must move quickly and efficiently as a country to benefit from EU support for strengthening production capacities in the defense sector,” said the President of the National Council of the PSD, according to Obiectiv Vocea Brăilei.

Last Thursday, the Council of the European Union approved the revision of the EU’s cohesion policy to reprogram funding in line with the new priorities imposed by current challenges.

„It is one of the fastest legislative change processes we have seen in Brussels.

Basically, the regulations on a number of European funds have been updated to respond to changes in the initial financial programming.

We have new priorities compared to when the allocation for the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework was decided. We have finally managed to achieve what we have been insistently demanding in recent years: the possibility to redirect European money towards defense and security, towards competitiveness and support for the regions on the eastern border of the Union,” emphasized Mihai Tudose, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defense.

The President of the PSD National Council specified that „flexibilities are being introduced—particularly in terms of pre-financing and co-financing from the EU, which are being supplemented, but also by extending the eligibility period for cohesion programs that dedicate at least 15% of their budget to strategic priorities, with a bonus for the eastern regions of the Union. And in terms of competitiveness, new measures are being introduced to increase investment in strategic technologies, with the scope being extended to all companies in this sector, regardless of their size.

We must move quickly and efficiently as a country to benefit from EU support for strengthening production capacities in the defense sector, for dual-use technologies and infrastructure, such as transport infrastructure, as well as support for the transition in energy-intensive industries.

There are several other interesting areas where new resources are being directed: affordable housing construction, modernization of water management infrastructure, and implementation of charging stations for electric vehicles,” explained Mihai Tudose.

The PSD MEP pointed out that the European Parliament voted, in its plenary session on September 10, on the agreement on the revision of cohesion policy, based on the European Commission’s proposal to amend the regulations on the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund, and the European Social Fund Plus.

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