HELSINKI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The European Union's (EU) drive to centralize its defense industry and promote joint procurement may threaten smaller players in the sector, including many Finnish firms, according to a study released Monday by the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (Etla).
The warning is in response to the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) financial instrument, approved by the European Council in May. The programme enables EU member states to access EU-backed loans for joint defense purchases and aims to streamline defense production across the bloc.
