The EU should set aside "at least" EUR3.5 billion (USD3.85 billion) in its next seven-year general budget after 2020 to directly fund defence research and technology (R&T), says a new report from the European Commission's advisory group on the future of European defence research. The first step, however, will be an experimental "preparatory action" (PA) with a much smaller budget to test the idea of EU-funded defence R&T during 2017-19. "We need more research and innovation to help Europe obtain cutting-edge defence and security capabilities," Elzbieta Bienkowska, European commissioner for the internal market, said when unveiling the new report on 23 February.
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