Defense budgets in Europe. It's not glorious...
(B2) The European Defense Agency – an agency of the European Union – has just put a new application online, which makes it possible to “increase transparency” on military spending in the European Union.
Available on his website, this application allows, with a simple click, to know the different data for each country: defense budget and distribution (salaries, equipment, investment, research), military and civilian personnel employed, deployment in operations abroad, etc. . Only the years 2005 and 2006 are, for the moment, available.
200 billion euros in 26 countries
The 26 countries participating in Defense Europe (1) thus spent 2006 billion euros in 201, ie 1,78% of GDP or 412 euros per inhabitant. A slight reduction in percentage compared to 2005 (-0,03 points) despite a slight increase in the budget (+8 billion). More than half of these expenses go to personnel expenses (110 billion). Overall operating and maintenance expenses amounted to 43,3 billion euros (22%). As for investment expenditure, it is 39 billion euros (19%) three-quarters for public procurement of equipment (29,1 billion), a quarter for research and development, R&D (9,7 billion ). It is estimated that 20.000 euros are spent on equipment and R&D for each EU-26 soldier.
Of these sums, the States devote approximately 6 billion euros to European projects but only 254 million to European research. However, this budget is growing rapidly from one year to the next. To compare: in 2005, the figures were respectively 4,2 billion (+ 1,8 billion) and 206 million (+ 48 million).
Almost 2 million soldiers
The armies of the EU-26 employ 1,94 million soldiers and 484 civilians. Around 000 people, or 98% of personnel, were deployed in 000 for external operations (UN, NATO, EU, etc.) out of a total of 5 deployable men (army only). The additional cost of these operations (excluding ordinary salary expenses in particular) represented 2006 billion euros. The increase is very clear compared to 378 when only 000 had been deployed (6,6%).
(1) Denmark does not participate in Defense Europe. Romania and Bulgaria are only counted for 2006.
(NGV)
(article published in Europolitics)
