The European Council has approved a 20 million euro ($21 million) assistance measure to bolster the Egyptian military’s ability to enhance stability, territorial control, and defense capabilities in the face of security threats.
The decision “demonstrates the importance the EU attaches to the EU-Egypt Partnership, amidst a highly volatile regional context,” the European Council stated.
The Council further noted that the “adoption signifies the growing EU-Egypt security and defense cooperation in the context of the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership.”
EU-Egypt Partnership
In March, Egypt and several EU member states signed a joint declaration for a Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership, which outlines six cooperation priorities: political relations, economic stability, trade and investment, migration management, safeguarding, and development.
The initiative is backed by an EU funding package for Cairo worth 7.4 billion euros ($8.06 billion), allocated for macro-financial assistance, investments, and migration management through 2027.
“The EU acknowledges Egypt as a reliable partner, as well as Egypt’s unique and vital geo-strategic role as a pillar of security, moderation, and peace in the region of the Mediterranean, the Near East and Africa,” the EU declared in a statement.
However, Amnesty International has raised concerns that the agreement might enable EU member states and Egypt to sidestep critical human rights obligations, particularly in areas related to migration, offshore border control, and arbitrary detentions.
European Peace Facility
The European Council’s assistance to Egypt is part of the European Peace Facility (EPF), launched in March 2021.
The EPF serves as a funding mechanism for military and defense cooperation between the EU and third-party states to promote international security.
In March, the European Council increased the financial ceiling of the EPF with an additional fund of 5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), raising the total budget of the initiative to 17 billion euros ($18.2 billion).