On Friday European Commission decided to hand it over to corporations reinforcement EUR 500 million to increase the production capacity of artillery ammunition. This is to provide more missiles Ukraine and replenishing countries' reserves UnionEuropean.
According to the former Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak of the EUR 500 million transferred to European arms companies to increase the production of artillery ammunition, Poland receives only approximately EUR 2.1 million. He added that German companies will receive approximately EUR 85 million and Hungarian companies EUR 27 million.
This is not the last funding
When asked by journalists about Poland applying for EC funding for the production of tank and artillery ammunition for Ukraine, the Deputy Prime Minister said that nothing could be done in this case. “When the process of collecting applications for the ammunition program ends, unfortunately there is not much that can be done,” he said. He recalled, however, that this was not the last subsidy for this production in the EU.
“Of course, we will apply, because there will be further EU funds for this purpose. We will apply and we will draw conclusions from the mistakes of our predecessors,” said Kosiniak-Kamysz in Polsat News. “We will fix it,” the minister assured.
In his opinion, his predecessors should beat their chests and reflect on how they failed and how they politicized the situation and message in the arms industry and all state-owned companies, which did not bring any results.
Is the EC's decision a scandal?
Previously on X platform boss BBN Jacek Siewiera He said that the EC's decision to subsidize ammunition production is a scandal. As he emphasized, out of three applications submitted by Dezamet, Nitrochem and Mesko only 0.4% was allocated to Polish companies. the entire funding, while German capital received almost 20 percent. available pool of EUR 500 million.
In the opinion of the head of the National Security Bureau, “in addition to determining whether the players made technical errors or were fouled before entering the ring by the referee, it is necessary to immediately file a protest regarding the results of these proceedings.” “If this is what European solidarity is to look like, then no one should be surprised by the contracting of equipment across the Atlantic and the Pacific. These are FUNDAMENTAL issues,” added Siewiera.
According to him, possible explanations that the applications had formal defects cannot be serious, because the bidder can always be called upon to correct the deficiencies. “No explanation that funding will be available in the second round can be satisfactory for the Polish Government. Then the contracts will have already been allocated and the Polish Army will be dependent on external entities,” said the head of the National Security Bureau.
The spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense believes that Mariusz Błaszczak is guilty
Spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense Janusz Sejmej responding on the X platform to Mariusz Błaszczak's entries, he emphasized that the fact that only one Polish company receives support should be a shame for him. “Offers could be submitted for 2 months from October 2023, and you signed up for this program in person in March 2023. So the program was announced during the term of office of the government. PIS!” – added.
He also accused Błaszczak of “preferring to organize political picnics” instead of supporting him. “It was worth taking care of our companies and not focusing on the constant replacement of CEOs. Today we see the results. Of the three companies that applied for the ASAP program, only one was qualified. This is the image you leave behind,” concluded the spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense.
Before the State Tribunal?
Minister of State Assets Borys Budka in an entry on the X platform, he assessed that “Błaszczak and the rest should be brought before the State Tribunal for their omissions regarding the lack of grants for Polish arms plants.” “Applications to the EC had to be submitted in October-December 2023. Then they were involved in the election campaign and then pretended to form a government,” added the head of MAP.
The EC's decision is intended to enable the European defense industry to increase its production capacity to 2 million missiles per year by the end of 2025. Currently, these capacities are estimated at just over 1 million per year. The funds are to go to companies such as: Rheinmetall, Nammo, Chemring Nobel, Hellenic Defense Systems, Eurenco and other. They are also intended to stimulate additional investments from industry through co-financing, which is expected to translate into a total investment amount of approximately EUR 1.4 billion. (PAP)
