Before the summer, however, a report accused Breton of “vastly overstating” the bloc’s ammunition manufacturing.
During his tenure the Frenchman spearheaded two pieces of legislation to allow EU cash to go to defense companies — the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), to boost manufacturing, and the European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA), to incentivize joint purchases. ASAP money has already been allocated; EDIRPA results are expected in October.
The now-former internal market commissioner leaves behind the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), a €1.5 billion cash pot for defense contractors that also opens the door to a greater role for the European Commission on weapons purchases. The regulation is still in talks in the Council and in the European Parliament, and will now proceed without him.
3. He aimed high to reshore microchip production
When Covid-19 disrupted global microchips supply chains, Breton moved quickly and became the face of the 2022 European Chips Act, one of the biggest pieces of industrial policy in the previous mandate.
The EU set a goal of claiming a larger share of the global chips value chain, taking on the U.S. and China.
That plan is now in dire straits, however. On Monday, U.S.-based chips manufacturer Intel announced it was pausing two projects, in Germany and Poland, for two years — dealing a heavy blow to the EU’s chipmaking goal.
