EU Parliament seeks to speed up ammo deal for Ukraine

European People’s Party chief Manfred Weber wants the European Parliament to use a fast-track procedure to vote on plans to boost weapons and ammunition production to help Ukraine as soon as this month, he said in a letter to Parliament President Roberta Metsola obtained by POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook.

“In view of the urgent need to help Ukraine in filling up its ammunition stocks, the EPP Group would like to request an urgent procedure pursuant to Rule 163 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure,” Weber wrote in his letter, dated May 5.

The clock is ticking: The EU has promised to supply Ukraine with 1 million shells in the next year, but there are concerns it may fall short of its promise to produce on the Continent the quantity needed.

EU ministers in March asked Brussels to come up with a law to use the EU budget to ramp up defense manufacturing capacity in Europe to meet those goals.

Last week, the Commission approved plans to increase the EU’s ammunition production capacity by injecting €500 million from the EU budget into European shell factories to boost weapons manufacturing — matched with co-financing of around €500 million from member countries and other sources.

The draft bill, dubbed the “Act in Support of Ammunition Production” (ASAP), aims to produce 1 million rounds of ammunition within one year.

But Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton stopped short of fast-tracking the bill to bypass lengthy parliamentary committee procedures in the hopes MEPs decide to speed through the bill themselves.

MEPs will debate the Commission’s proposal in Monday’s plenary — but what was meant to be a first exchange of views is set to turn into a debate about whether to speed up the bill, as Weber wants MEPs to vote as soon as Tuesday on whether to use the fast-track procedure.

An official told Playbook this would require a vote Monday to add the point to the agenda.

Political group leaders are set to discuss the proposal on Thursday, while the final vote to approve the ammunitions bill “could be scheduled” for a voting session at the end of this month, Weber proposed.