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MEPs mandate talks on €500m defence fund
By EUobserver
Members of the European Parliament gave their centre-right French colleague Francoise Grossetete a mandate to negotiate with national governments about the conditions of the proposed €500m European Defence Industrial Development Programme. 471 MEPs approved her report, which would exclude weapons of mass destruction and fully autonomous weapons from eligibility. 195 MEPs voted against. "We don't need more money, we need more efficiency," said German left-wing MEP Reinhard Buetikofer.