According to several sources who spoke to Euronews on Wednesday, EU member states are hopeful that talks on a security agreement with the UK would proceed quickly so that it may be the primary deliverable when leaders meet for a summit on May 19.<\/p>\n
In addition to allowing the bloc’s nations to purchase British-made military hardware through a new \u20ac150 billion European instrument to increase defence expenditure, a security agreement would allow Britain to participate in joint military capability acquisition with other EU members.<\/p>\n
We’re all hoping a security and defence partnership can be signed,” one EU diplomat told Euronews on condition of anonymity during a routine meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, when the impending conference was addressed.<\/p>\n
“In principle, we want to work with (the) defence manufacturing sector within the European Union, however because it is so urgent for Ukraine we need to partner up with other countries,” said the source. “As stated in the separate procurement agreement, there will be specific requirements that must be fulfilled.<\/p>\n
A preliminary draft prepared by the Commission’s External Action Service is set to be discussed by EU ambassadors next week as part of ongoing negotiations between London and Brussels on security and military collaboration.<\/p>\n
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