Sánchez insists on including climate in defense spending despite warnings from Brussels

Eduardo González Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez insisted this Monday on the Spanish government's intention to include investments for "climate emergencies" in defense and security spending, despite warnings to the contrary from the European Commission. Speaking to reporters at the end of the EU-MED9 2025 Summit, held in the Slovenian city of Portoroz, the prime minister reported that Spain will increase its defense and security spending by €10 billion this year with the goal of reaching two percent of GDP, which will entail allocating "thirteen percent to the climate emergency and Civil Protection." “Adaptation policies must respond to flooding and the effects of the climate emergency on the territory,” he stated. “The Government is clear: some of these policies linked to security and defense can be included, and that is what the Spanish Government is doing in line with the European Union and also with NATO,” he added. At the beginning of October, the European Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, warned—in response to a parliamentary question from the European People's Party (EPP)—that spending allocated to combating climate change in Spain cannot be counted as part of defense spending and, therefore, will not benefit from the fiscal flexibilities or funds established in the ReArmar Plan. He also specified that, according to the international classification of public administration expenditure (COFOG), defense spending excludes investments whose primary objective is not security, as is the case with investments in climate change. According to Sánchez, the green agenda favors the strategic autonomy and security of the European Union, and this summer's fires across much of the continent demonstrate the need to improve energy interconnections and maintain climate goals. He also called at the Summit for an ambitious European Union budget that would allow for the financing of new priorities, such as security and competitiveness, without neglecting structural areas such as the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion. The EU-MED9 2025 Summit brought together, along with the heads of state and government of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Slovenia, and Croatia, the President of the European Council, António Costa; the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; and King Abdullah II of Jordan as a guest. At the meeting, the leaders discussed strengthening European competitiveness and the MED9 members' perspectives on the next European Union budget, as well as the situation in the Middle East during a working lunch with the King of Jordan. The summit's final declaration emphasizes the importance of deepening the integration of the single market, promoting the digital transformation, strengthening Europe's trade relations, continuing the EU's enlargement process, and underscoring the shared commitment to Ukraine. Separately, at the working lunch with the King of Jordan, the MED9 leaders recognized the key role that country plays in the peace and stability of the Middle East and as a hub for humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza. They emphasized the importance of implementing all phases of the peace agreement reached last week in Sharm El-Sheikh. "What we want is for the ceasefire to be respected; secondly, for humanitarian aid to be allowed access to Gaza, which is not yet guaranteed, at least as previously assumed; and finally, for us to be able to move toward the definitive solution, which is peaceful coexistence between two states, the State of Israel and the State of Palestine," declared the Prime Minister at the end of the summit.

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