The federal government wishes to count energy investments as defense that make it more independent from countries like Russia as defense, reports the Standaard newspaper.
NATO member countries undertook in late June to invest 5% of their gross domestic product in defense by 2035. 3.5% will be dedicated to direct military spending, while the remaining 1.5% will be interpreted more broadly as investments aimed at strengthening resilience. Infrastructure work could be included.
Security of nuclear power plants; Extension of the lifespan of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 reactors; Support for wind farms at sea or battery parks … Certain energy investments could be recorded, according to the Minister of Energy Mathieu Bihet (MR). The amount that the federal government wishes to take into account, however, remains difficult to assess, because it depends on the price of electricity from year to year.
